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REYNOLI"^'^ '-^"^TORICAL
GENEALOGY > OLLECTION
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{^LLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 00849 7684
Digitized by the Internet Arciiive
in 2010 with funding from
Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
http://www.archive.org/details/leeofvirginia16400inleee
LEE OF VIRGINIA'^
1642-1892
Biographical and Genealogical Sketches of
The Descendants of Colonel Richard Lee
WITH BRIEF NOTICES OF THE RELATED FAAULltS OF
Al.ir.RTON, ARMlSTtAD. ASHTON, AYLcTT, BEDINGES. BEVEPLEY. BL\ND, BOLLING, Ca.P.POLL,
Carter, Chamdeks, Copbin, Cust:s, Digges, Fairfax, Fitziilgh, Ga^'DNE!;.
QPYy.ES. Hanson, Jenings, Jones. Lldwell, Marshall, .Vuson,
Page, Randolph, Shephehd, Sinr^EN. Tabb, Tayi.of,
TUKBERVILLE, WASHINGTON, AND OTHERS
EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY
EDMUND JENNINGS LEE, M. D.
ME.nEER OF THE KISTORSCaL SOCIETIES OF
PENNSYLVANIA AND VIRGINIA
PHILADELPHIA
IS95
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1*=^ 'T' *^'* Q ? :"■* *r>
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drouuty ^alop.
4 PREFACE. '
Stone Leo, of Wiltshire, has been secured, and he has i^iven a succinct
account of his English line. Since many persons seem to think that everv
American who bears the same name must of necessity be of the same stock,
a few sketches of the various EuL-lish Lee families, to sho.v the erroneous-
ness of such an idea, have Ijeen given by Mr. J. Henry Lea, of Fairhaven,
Mass., who is well equipped for such work. Coming now to the Virginia
family, the life of the Immigrant has been traced as well as existing rec-
ords would allow. Then each of his children has been treated in like man-
ner; next, his grandchildren, and so on down to the present generation.
As only three of the Immigrant's sons have been proven to have left sur-
viving male issue in Virginia, and, as the issue of these three sons form
three distinct lines of descent, they have been treated separately. Under
the notice of each head of a family, the names cf his children are given,
numbered, in the order of their birth, by the Roman figures placed before
their names. Those sens who married and themselves became heads of
families ha\'e also Arabic figures placed after their namts. to show where
they are taken up in the next generation. Whatever is known as to unmar-
ried sons, and as to all daughters, is given with their parents. The records
upon which these sketches are based have been derived from wills, deeds,
family Bibles, tombstone inscriptions, and such like authorities. All the
wills, deeds, land grants, official conmiissions, etc., quoted in. this volume
are from duly attested copies. The official certificates have been omitted
to save space.
The pictures given are photographic copies of old family portraits,
miniatures, engravings, or photographs. Some of these were much defaced
by time, and offered very poor subjects for copying. The general excel-
lence of the prints given is due to the skill and attention bestowed upon
them by the efficient employes of the Gutekunst Company of this city.
That equal prominence might be given to maternal ancestry, brief
sketches of the parentage of wives of the Lees of the older generations are
added ; nearly all of the families so sketched have been for generations
prominent in the social and political life of \'irginia, and more or less com-
plete records of them are given elseuhere. Consequently, it was telt that
the merest outline of their family history would be sufficient in this connec-
tion. Wiierever it has been possible to obtain an accurate representation
of the coat-armor once actually used by these lamilies, it has been given in
as clear a copy as the original would allow.
The various sj»ellings used in the old letters and documents have been
followed; as far as possible their punctuation and use of capitals has also
been preserved.
• •• (J
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PREFACE.
S^Jc
To those who have so kindly and efficiently rendered assistance in
compiling this volume, the editor returns his most grateful thanks. Among
those to whom he is especially indebted may be mentioned the followinrf :
Mrs. Mary Lee Gouverneur, of Frederick county, Marylarid. the oldest
living representative of the family, in spite of her advanced age, copied a
large amount of the family records of the descendants of her grandfather.
Gov. Thomas Sim Lee. To Mi.-s Margaret H. Lee, of Richmond, the
descendants of Hancock Lee owe the best part of the record of their line as
given in this volume. Mr. W. G. Stanard, also of Richmond, has furnished
much information, some of which has been acknowledged in the proper
places throughout the text ; but many dates, nanies of ofhcial positions, and
such like data derived from him, have not been acknowledged in that way.
Mr. R. A. Brock, who has rendered such efticicnt service in preserving and
•arranging Virginia history, as well as that of th.e South in general, has also
given valuable assistaiice. Dr. A. G. Grinnan, of Madison county, Virginia,
and Mr. Thomas "SI. Green, of Danville. Ky., have been very helpful.
especially in sending intorm.ation concerning the descendants of Hancock
Lee. Mr. Alexander Brown, of Norwood. Nelson county, has been exceed-
ingly kind in contributing material. In Baltimore, Mr. Wilson ^Llies Car-\-,
and Mr. Joseph Packard, Jr., liave been most helpful; to the latter espe-
cially many thanks are due for assistance in carrying the work through tlie
press. From the Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden, and his invaluable Virginia
Gi:nt-aIogies, much aid has been received. Miss Kate ^Lason Rowland, of
Baltimore, has also sent some interesting data from the files of the old
Maryland Gazette.
In conclusion, the editor desires to return thanks to the Franklin Print-
ing Company of this city for the faithful manner in which they have pre-
pared and [trinred this volume. The excellent proof-reading deserves special
commendation.
Attention of readers is especially called to the Appendix, where some
important and interesting additions and corrections are given.
Philadelphia, istMav. 1895.
fi •:;'! r . d:y> r-
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PORTRAITS.
Page
49
Colonel Richard Lee,
From an engraving of his original portrait.
Mrs. Richard Lee, Sr., 64
From a photograph of her original portrait.
Richard Lee, Jr., ■y^
From an enj^ravirg of his original portrait.
Mrs. Richard Lee, Jr., 78
From a photograpli of her original portrait.
Thomas Lee, of Stratford, 103
From an engraving of his original portrait.
Mrs. THO^LA.s Lee, 112
From a photograph of her original portrait.
Richard Hexrv Lee, 172
From an engraving of a miniature; representing him in his younger days.
Richard Hexrv Lee iqo
From his portrait in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
Fran'cis L;ghtfoot Lee, 215
From a print of his original portrait.
Willam Lee 235
From a miniature.
Dr. Arthur Lee, 2^4
From a portrait in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
General Henry Lke, 329
From an engr.iving.
Judge Charle:^ Lee 362
F"rorn his pirtrait in the Hepartmeat of Ju-,tice, Washington.
Mrs. CrLXRi.ES Lei: 36^
From a jx^rtrait liy Sully after Stuart.
Richard Bi and Lee -yo
From a miniature.
T/J,1 ^',;.: •; K ; ' :,-^ '
8 list ok illustrations.
Theodoric Lee, ■.-.
From a portrait.
Edmund I. Lee, Sr., --.
From a photograph of an old miniature.
ADMIR.A.L SaMIEL PhILLIPS LeE, -f't'-
From a portrait by Sully, iS45-
From a recent photograph, -^qR
Mrs. Samuel. Phillips Lee -q-
From a portrait by Sully, 1S39.
Major John Fitzoer^vld Lee, 400
From a photograph.
General Robert E. Lek, 41 r
From an engraving made from a daguerreotype taken about 1S52.
Mrs. Rorert E. Lee, n6
From a portrait painted during the earlier years of her married life.
General Robert E. Lee, 440
From a photograph taken at Richmond in May, 1865.
Mrs. Robert E. Lee, 454
From a photograph taken shortly before her death.
Edmund L Lee, Jr., ^68
From a photograph taken a few years before his death.
Cassius F. Lee, 474
From a daguerreotype taken about 1846.
General Fitzhugh Lee, 4^''>
From a recent photograph.
General G. W. C. Lee, 497
From a photograph taken about 1S70.
General W. H. F. Lee, 499
From a recent engraving.
General Edwin Gray Lee, .5'"^
From a photograph taken a short time prior to lii^ death.
OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS.
Pack
Arms of Lee of Coton Hall, County Salop, .... frontispiece
Old Wood Carving of Lee Arms from Cobbs Hall, 50
A Section of Jefferson's Map of 1787, 52
A Silver Cup presented by John Lee to his College at Ox-
ford, 67
The Corbin Arms, 84
The Fitzhugh Ar>l-, 89
The Turblrville Arms, 93
Stratford Hall, 116
The Ludwell Arms, 127
Fac-Simile of Co mmi-sion of FIknrv Lee as County Lieutenant, 132
The Bland Arms, 137
The Wormelev Arm^, 145
The Fairfax Arms, 147
The Hanson Arms, 157
The Old Raleigh Tavern, 176
Fac-Simile of the original Resolution for Independence as of-
fered Richard Henrv Lee, 179
The Washington Arm^ represented in the book-plate of Gen-
eral Washington, 210
Fac-Simile of CiniMis-^iON oi" Henry Lee, 291
The Jenings Arms, 300
The Lee Arms on a silver dish, 305
The DiGGEs Arms, 311
The Beverley Arms, 319
Fac-Simile of the Medal Awarded Henry Lee by Congress, 1778, 332
The Carter Arms, 357
The Carroll Arms, 3S6
Randolph Arms repre^eni kd in the book-plate of Sir John
Randolph, 406
Arlington House, 438
The Gardner Arms, 477
The Arms ok the Page Family, 482
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CONTENTS.
THE Lf:ES OF ENGLAND.
Pagb
The Ten Principal Lee Fa;:iilies, 17
Leigh of West IL-Jl, High Leigh, Cheshire, 18
Leigh of East Hall, Cheshire, 19
Lee of Lea Hall ?vid Dernhall, Cheshire. 19
Lygh of Lanford and Corsley, Wiltshire, 20
Leigh of Flamherdstone, Wilts, and of the Isle of Wight, 21
Lee of D':.' l,ee Magna, Kent, 21
Lea of Pk^.les Ov/en Grange, Salop, and Kings-Norton, V>'orcestershire, 21
Ley of Bereferrers, Devon, and of Teffont Evias, Wilts., 22
Leigh, of Addiiigton, Surrey, 22
Lee of Hughlcy, Salop, 22
J-ee of Hartwell, Buckingham'-hire, 23
Lee of Langley and Coton, Shropshire, 24
Barnel of Acton Burnell and Langley, 43
^Moreton-Corbet, 47
LEE OF V1RGINL\.
FIRST GENERATION.
1 Colonel Richard Lee, 49
His Children, 65
SECOND OENERATION, STRATFORD LINE.
2 Richard Loe : Lwtitia Corbin, 74
Thf- (x;ibin Family 83
The r'it/luigh Family, 89
THIRD Cr.NI-.RAllOX, STRA1F0UD LINF.
3 Richard Lee: Martha Silk, 9^
The Tuibcr\;:lc Family 93
1 1
1 ) , i i ' i!
12 CONTtNTS.
Pagf
4 Philip Lee: Sarah Brooke and Elizabeth Sewall, 96
The Chambers Family, 10 1
5 Thomas Lee: Hannah Ludwell, 103
The Ludwell Family, 127
The Shippen Family, 130
6 Henry Lee: Mary Bland, 131
The Bland Family, 137
FOL'RTH CENERATIOX. STRATtORD LINE.
7 George Lee : Judith Worraeley and Anne Fairfax, 140
The Wormeley Family, 144
The Fairfax Fainily, 147
8 Richard Lee: Grace Ashton, 148
9 Francis Lee: Elizabeth Holhday, 153
10 Philip Lee: Bridget , 155
11 Thomas Lee: Chiistiana Sim, 156
12 Arthur Lee: Charit}- Hanson, 157
The Hanson Faaiily 157
13 Hancock Lee, never married, 160
14 John Lee: Susannah Smith. 161
15 George Lee: , 164
16 Philip Ludwell Lee: Elizabeth Steptoe, • 165
17 Thomas Ludwell Lee: ^Lary Aylett, 168
The Aylett Family, 172
18 Richard Henry Lee: Anne Aylett and Anne (Gaskins) Pinckard, 172
Gaskins Wills, 208
The Washington Famii} , • . . . 209
19 Francis Lightfoot Lee: Rebecca ']\iyl<ie, 215
20 William I-ee : Har-nah Philippa Ludwell, 235
21 Dr. .-\rthur Lee, never married, 254
22 John Lee: >[ary (Smith) Ball, 2S5
23 Richard Lee: Sally Poythress 2S7
24 Plenry Lee: Lucy Grymes, 291
The Grymes Family, 299
The Jenings Family 300
HITH (.ENERATIOX, STKATl'OR!) LINE.
25 George Fairfax Lee: Mrs. Travers, 302
26 Lancelot Lee : Mary Bathurst Jones and (JockrcU 303
27 Philip Thomas Leo: Russell 304
CONTENTS. " J,
Pagb
28 Thomas Sim Lee : Mary Digges, ,q6
The Digges Family, ^^j
29 Philip Lee: Mary Jacqueline Smith ^j^
30 Thomas Luchvell Lee: Fanny Carter, ^j^
31 George Lee : Evelyn Byrd Beverley, ... • ^18
The Beverley Family, „
32 Thomas Lee: Mildred Washington and Eliza Ashton Brent, . . 320
33 Ludwell Lee: Flora Lee and Elizabeth Armistead, 323
34 Francis Lightfoot Lee: Elizabeth and Jane Fitzgerald, .... 327
35 Henry Lee: Matilda Lee and Anne Hill Carter, 329
The Carter Family, ...g
36 Charles Lee : .\nne Lee and Margaret (Scott) Peyton 362
The Jones Family, -g-
The Packard Famil\-, -^p
37 Richard Bbnd Lee : Elizabeth Collins, 3yo
38 Theodric L..ee : Catharine Hite, ->-,2
39 Edmurid Jennings Lee: Sarah Lee, ^yi
The Tabb Family, ,3^
SIXTH (.;ENERAT10N-, STRATFORD LINE.
40 Thomas Lee: Eleanor Cromwell, -,8^
The Carroll Family, ,§^
41 William Lee: Mary Lee Hollyday, 38S
42 John Lee: Harriet Carroll, 302
43 George Lee: Sally Moore Henderson, -^g-^
44 Richard Henry Lee : Mary Duncan Mahon and Anna Eden Jordan, 394
45 Samuel Piiillips Lee: Elizub.ech Blair, 396
46 John Fitzgerald Lee : Eleanor Ann Hill, 39c,
47 Henry Lee: Anne R. McCarty, 403
4S Charles Carter Lee: Lucy Penn Taylor, 404
The Fv.andolph Family, 405
49 Sydney Smith Lee: .-Vnna Maria Mason, 408
The Mason Family 410
50 Robert Edward Lee : ^La^y .\. R. Custis, 412
The Custis Family, 4^5
51 Robert Eden Lee : Margaret Gordon Scott 461
52^Richard Bland Lee : J'lHa Anna Marion Prosser, 462
53 Zaccheus Collins Lee: ^Lutha Ann Jenkins, 466
54 John Hite Lee: Elizabeth Prosser . 467
' i'-.^ -'7 '..n
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14 CONTENTS.
Page
55 Edmund Jennings Lee: Eliza Shepherd and Henrietta Bedinger, 468
The Shepherd Family, 470
The Bedinger Family, 471
56 William Fitzhngh Lee: Mary C. S. Chilton, 472
57 Caisius F. Lee: Hannah P. L. Hopkins and Anne Eliza Gardner, 474
The Gardner Family, 477
Peterkin, 479
58 Charles Henry Lee : Elizabeth A. Dunbar, 480
59 Richard Henry Lee : Evelyn Byrd Page, 480
The Page Family, 482
SEVENTH GENERATION, STRATIOKD IJNE.
60 Thomas Lee: Harriet Carver 485
61 Thomas Sim Lee: Josejjhine O'Donnell, 4S5
62 Charles Carroll Lee: Helen Parrish, 486
63 George Lee: Laura Frances Rogers, 487
64 Richard Henry Lee: Mary Wilson 4S7
65 Francis Ligh.tfoot Lee : ^^ary LJuncan Mahon 4S7
66 Francis Preston r.!a;r Lee : Anne Clymer Brooke, 48S
67 William Hill Lee : Julia Turner, 48S
68 George Taylor Lee: Ella M. (GooJrum) Fletcher, 488
69 Henry Lee : Lilian Elizabeth. Woollen, 4S9
70 Robert Randolph Lee : Alice Wilkinson, 489
71 Fitzhugh Lee: Ellen Bernard Fowle, 489
72 John Mason Lee: Nora liankliead, 496
73 Henry Carter Lee: Sally IJuchanan Floyd, 496
74 Daniel Murray Lee; Xaniiie I'b Ficklen, 497
75 George Washington Cusiis Lee, never married 497
76 William Ffenry Fiizb.ugh Lee: Charlotte Wickham and ^Liry
Tab!) Boiling, . 499
The Boiling Family, 506
77 Robert Edward Lee : Charlotte Tavlor Haxail and Juliet Carter, 507
78 Richard Bland Lee: Mary Alice Butt 50S
79 Julian Prosser Lee: Meta Wallace Weaver 509
80 Richard Henry Lee- Isabella WiI.mju 509
81 Charles Shepherd Lee: Margaret H. Page, 509
82 Edsvin Gray Lee: S iV>n Pendleton 510
S3 Edmund Jennings Lee: Rebecca Laurence Rust and bes^ie Read
Xeilson 511
ot*-
OU-
CONTENTS. - - j-
Fage
■84 Henry Eedinger Lee : Lucy Johnston I^Lirshall, 511
The Marshall Family, ej,
85 William Fitzhugh Lee : Lillie Parran, r^^
86 Cassiu-s Francis Lee: Mary Lloyd, -jc
87 Cazenove Gardner Loe: ^Larguerite L. Dupont, cje
The Dupont Family, -j^^
88 Francis Dupont Lee : Anne Henderson Taylor, 516
89 Edmund Jennings Lee : Mary Emma Smith • . . . "16
90 William Byrd Lee : Sarah Jane Elacklxirn Kownslar, 517
-91 Charles Henry Lee : Susan Randolph Cooke, 517
THE DITCHLEY LL\E.
FIRST GENERATION.
1 Colonel Richard Let, -j8
SECOND GENERATION.
2 Hancock Lee: INIary Kendall and Sarah Allerton, 51S
The AUerton Family, c,^
TheTavlor Familv, , r.-.^
1 he Armistead Faniily, e-^i
THIRI* GENERATION.
3 Richard Lee: Judith Steptoe, 534
4 Hancock Lee: Mary Willis, c-^o
FOURTH GENERATION.
5 Kendall Lee: Betty Heale, --.-
0 Hancock Lee: Winifred Beale, 539
7 John Lee: Elizabeth Bell, 542
8 Henry Lee: , r.^
FIFTH GENERATION.
9 George Lee: Frances Ball, caa
The r.all Family, ... - ,-
-' ' 340
10 Kendall Lee: Sarah Gordon and Judith Burton Payne, .... 546
11 PL^ncockLee: Sinah Ellen Chichester, 546
12 Willis Lee: ^L^ry Richards, 547
13 LlancockLee: Susan Richards, 547
J4 Thomas Lee: Bell, 549
1 !!£.'.■ ■ J J.
\' .. •I
I .
1 6 CONTENTS.
SIXTH CENEKATION.
Pace
15 Arthur I.ee: Sarah Hagij;emaii 549
16 Thomas Lee: Mary Pearson, 549
17 William Lee : Eliza Wamack and Hannah Saiinders, 550
iS ITancock Leer ^Lary Henderson and ^lartha Bickerton Drc\\', . 550
19 John ILancock Lee: ?vL^ry Lee Willis, Fannie ^Villis, and ^NLary
Jones, 551
20 Henry Hancock Lee: Olivia Xutt, 552
SEVKN'IH GENERATION.
21 William Kendal! Lee : Henderson, ■ .... 553
22 George Lee: Ellen Clark, 553
23 William Thomas Lee : Susan iManton, 553
24 James Kendall Lee, never married, 553
25 Henry Hancock Lee: Maud r'aiiie, 557
26 Robert Edward Lee : Meta Shumate, 557
THE COEBS HALL LINE.
FIRST GENERATION.
1 Colonel Richard Lee, 55S
SECOND GENERATION.
2 Charles Lee : Elizabeth Medstand, 55S
THIRD GENERATION.
3 Thomas Lee: , 5^^
4 Charles Lee: Elizabeth Pinckard, 562
FOURTH GENEKATIDN.
5 Thomas Lee : Lucy , 5^3
6 Charles Lee : Joannah Morgan, 564
7 Charles Lee : >Lary Lee and Leeanna Jones, 566
FIFTH GENERATION.
8 Thomas Lee: , 5^S
9 Charles Lee: Sarali Hull, 56S
SIXTH GENERATION.
10 Richard Lee: Elizabeth Hurst, S1^
11 Kendall Lee: Mary Xutt 5 7°
Ai)pendi.x, 573
Errata, - 57 7
^y^-:-:.yn
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M,,.'>U/
LEE OF VIRGINIA,
THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
>tIE earliest records of England contain references to many families
of this name, thoiighi spelt in many difierent forms. The various
counties of England have been from early times dotted with Lee
villages, towns, and rivers; there was scarcely a county that did
not contain several Lee seats, mansions, or manors. In view of the preva-
lence of this name, it will be readily acknowledged that the accurate tracing
of the descendants of any special progenitor is no easy task. It can only
be accomplished by a careful and thorough scrutiny of all reliable records ;
this Mr. William Eiackstone Lee has done for the Lees of Langley and
Coton, and gives here a summary of the reliable data he has gathered.
The only addition to his accurate sketch tb.at might be made, with interest
to those not well versed in genealogy and heraldry, is a brief account of the
other well-known Lee families of England. Such sketches will enable
readers to discriminate l>etween those having the same name, yet belonging
to different families and bearing different arms. Families who lawfully bore
simHar arms were considered to have had a common parent stock.
The following sketches often of the principal Lie families in England
are from the pen of Mr. J. Henry Lea. of Rrlrhaven, Mass., who has devoted
considerable time to the study of the genealogies of the families of this
name. His sketches may, therefore, be considered ihorouglily accurate and
reliable. They are necessarily very brief These ten families are:
1. Leigh of West Hall, High Leigh, Cheshire.
2. Leigh of East Llall, High Leigh, Cheshire.
3. Lee of Lea Hall and Dernhall, Cheshire.
4. Lygh of Lanford and Corsley, Wiltshire.
5. Leigh of Flamberdstone, Wiltshire, and Isle of Wight.
6. Lee of De Lee Magna, Kent.
7. Lea of Halesowen, Salop, and of Ringsnorton, Worcester.
8. Ley of Bereferrers, Devon, and of Teffont Evias, Wiltshire.
9. Leigh of East Leigh, Kent, and of .Vddington, Surrey.
10. Lee of Hughley, Shropshire.
17
-J. '}
I. , ■ 1 . 'f-l
1 , . I
iS THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
I. LFJOII OF WEST HALL, CHESHIRE.
Arms: Or, a iiou rampant, gules, (ancient arms, Gules a pale fusillce argent, being the
arms of Lyme).
Thib, the most ancient family of the name in England, traces its pedi-
gree through Hamon de Leigh (temp. Henry U.) son of Gilbert de Vena-
bles, liaron of Kindeiton, and great grandson of Gilbert de Venables of
Xoruiandy, who accor.ipanied the Conqueror to England, and was a
youneer brother of ihiliault (HI.), Count of Blois, and a descendant of
Thibault, brother of Rollo, the Viking, the first Duke of Xormandy. Rich-
ard de Leigh, great grandson of Hamon, left issue Agnes, only daughter
and heir, who married, first, Richard de T>)'me, the younger son of Llugh de
1-yme, and had issue a son, Thomas, who took the name of his mother, and
became the ancestor of the Leighs of West Llall. This Agnes married,
secondly, Sir William de Venables, Knt. (her fourth cousin in the male
line), and had issue, John De Leigh, who assumed the name of his mother,
but retained the arms of his father, /. e., Azure, two bars argent. From
him are descended the Leiglis of Boothes, Stoneley, Lee of Hartwell, and
man}- others.
I'iie following ancient and noble families of the name trace their
descent from the parent stock of High Leigh : — Boothes (arm^ ; az. 2 bars
arg. , over all a bend gu.) ; B;'guley (arms: az. 2 bars arg., over all a bend
sa.) ; Adlingtoir (arms: a/.. 2 bars arg., over all a bendlet gobony or and
gu.) ; Berchington (arms: az. 2 bars arg., over all, on a bend gu., 3
phieons of the second) ; Lyme (arms: gu., a cross engrailed arg.) ; of the
Ridge (same arms); Stoneley, V/arw., Lords Leigh (same arms) ; Lee of
Hartwell, Bucks, (arms : a/. 2 bars or, over all a bend gobony or and gu.) ;
Oughtrington (arms: arg. a bend fusillee sa., quartering or a lion ram-
pant, gu.); I'rownsover, Warw., Barts. ; .\nnerley, co. Xotts. ; Egginton,
CO. Deri)}' (arms: az., a {)late betw. 3 ducal crowns or, within a bordure
arg.) ; Ijirch, co. Lane, (arms: az., 2 bars arg. a bend gobony or and gu.,
and soinelimes 2 crowns in chief or); Rushall, co. Staff, (arms: gu., a
cross engrailed arg., in dexter quarter an escutcheon of the last charged
with 2 bars az. and debrused by a bend gobony or and gu.) ; Longborrow
and .Adleslrop, co. Glouc. (arms: gu., a cross engrailed arg., in dexter
(juarter a lozenge of the second) ; Newnham Regis, co. Warw., Earls of
Chichester (same arm<) ; Stockwell, co. Surry (arms: gu., a cross engrailed
and bordure engrailed arg.) ; Isell, co. Cumb. (parent stock of Baguley) ;
Townley, co. Lane, (arms: arg., a fess and 3 mullets in chief, sa.);
Middloton, CO. York (arms: arg., 2 bars sa., over all a bend, gu.),
I'XI'
LEE OF LEA HALL AND DERNHALL, CHESHIRE.
19
and many other distinguished and gentle families. {O/nerOifs Cheshire,
Helsby's Ed. I, 449.) ;.
2. LEIGH OF EAST HALL, CHESHIRE. - '
Arms: Argent, a lion rampant gules.
Are descended from Efward or Oswald de Lega and were probably a
co-armigerous family with the last named, the arms being identical except in
tincture. The very strong probability of their descent from the Venables
stock is recognized by Omerod and other authorities. Like the Leighs of
West Hall, they have retained their estates and preserved a m.aie succession.
{Omerod, I, 457.)
3. LEE OF LEA HALL AND DERXHALL, CHESHIRE.
Arms: Argent, a Fess sable between three leopards' heads of the second. (A later grant
15S3, gave a chevron instead of the fess.)
Are descended from John Lee, who married Isabelle, daughter of Sir
Piers Button, of Button, and had a son, John, who married Elizabeth,
daughter of Sir Thomas Fulleshurst, or Folhurst, and was succeeded by his
eldest son, Tliomas, who married Marjery,
daughter of Sir John Aston, Knt., and had
a son, John, who married Margery, daughter
of Henry Hocknel. and liad issue : i, Thomas,
his successor at Lea Hall; 2, John, of Aston,
CO : Stafford; 3, William; 4, Robert, of
Aston; 5, Benedict, who married Elizabeth,
daughter and heir of Sir John Wood, Esqr., of
CO : Warwick ; his son, Richard, of Quarren-
don, CO : Bucks, altered his arms to, "Argent,
a fesse bet\seen three crescents, sable ; " he left,
besides two daughters, Elizabeth and Katha-
rine, four sons :
I, Sir Robert Lee of Burston. who was ^
the grand.father of Sir Henry Lee, K. G., of ^^S'if-
Quarrendon, temp. Queen Elizabeth. He died
in 161 1 without surviving issue, when his estates
were inherited by his cousin, Sir Henry Lee, IJart., of Bitchley.
2, Roger Lee of Pightlesthorne, co : Bucks., from whom the Lees of
Binfield are descended.
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20 THE I.EKS OF ENGLAND.
3, Henry I.ce (of Oxon.?), left issue.
4, Benedict Lee of Hulcote, co : Bucks., was the father of Sir Robert
Lee, Knt., of Plulcote, whose son, Sir Henry Lee, inherited the estates of
his cousin, above mentioned, and became seated at Ditchley. From him
wD„s descended Sir Edward-lrlenry Lee, fifth Baronet, Colonel of the first
Foot Guards, who was elevated to tlie peerage as Earl of Litchfield, bv
letters-patent, on the 5th of June, 1674; Robert, the fourth Earl died on
the 4th of November, 1776, without issue; "when," says Burke, '-the earl-
dom of Litchfield and minor honors became extinct." The estates were
eventually inht^rited by Lady Charlotte Lee, daughter of the second earl;
she married on the 26th of October, 1744, Viscount Dillon, and has left
descendants. From Thomas Lee, of Lea Hall, Cheshire, brother of the
first Benedict, the male line of the elder branch of this family continued
down in unbroken succession to Charles Lee, the General in the American
Army during the Revolution. He was born in 1731; died at Philadelphia
without issue, in 17S2, andwas buried at old Christ church in that city.
At his death the elder branch became extinct in the male line.'
4. LYGH OF LAN FORD AND CORSLEY, WILTSHIRE.
Aims; Argent, guttee dt sang, a lion rampant, gules.
They were seated at Lanford as early as the reign of Henrv III.
(1216-1272), being then represented by James de Lygh, who held his
lands by service of Albreda de Botcrell. Perhaps cadets of the Leighs of
High Leigh (compare arms), and became extinct in the direct line about
15 1 5, when Robert Lygh. fourth of the name in succession, left two
daughters, his co-heirs ; Elizabeth, u ho married John Stanter of Hornin.r'-
ton, Wilts., and Anv.e, whr) m.irried William Beckett, of Wilton, co.
Wilts. {Hoard's Mod. Ji'i/rs., X, S2.)
' A genealogy of the nu;irTefuion I.'C-^, by the writer, is now a|ipearing in the Geneaior^ist,
Nesv Series, \'oi. \'II1, p. 226, et :■■!., whicit will give, for the tirst time, a practically correct
aiid complete account of this much alused and, in the male line, totally e.Minct family.
Note: Ai thi.-re has been for many years a tradition among-t the Lees of Virginia that
they were in some way descended from the Ditchley line, the arms borne bv that family are
given above. .\:i previously st.itcd, Ricliard I.ee,on becoming >eat..d at Quarrendon, altered
his anns from "three leopards' heads " to "three crescents," retaining crest and motto.
Though th.e Lees of Virginia cannot, as a family, trace any descent from the Ditchley stock,
there are some of them that cm do so through ihe maternal line. Benedict Calvert, fourth
I>ord Baltimore, married in l6.)S I^ily (.."h.-irlotte I- it/roy, daughter of Fxiward Her)ry Lee, first
Ear' of Litchfield ; their great great gr."nd<laughter, Eleanor Calvert, married John Parke
Custis, tlie grandfather of .Mrs. Kot>erl E. Lee, whose children are therefore descended from
the Ditchley stock. — I'.,(ir<i-.
' .' /
:-j / i
LEA OF HALES OWEN ORANGE, SALOP, AND KINGSNORTON.
5. LEIGH OF FLAMDF:RDSTC)XE, WILTS., AND OF THE ISLE
OF WIGHT.
Arms: Argent, on a chief embattled sable, three phites.
This family, probably cadets of the last named, trace their descent
from John Lye, of Flamberdstone (1368). A superb alabaster monument
of Sir John Leigh, Knt.. who died in 1522, is still remaining at Godshill
church, in the Isle of Wight. They were long seated in the island, and
are now represented by Edward Leonard Leigh, Esq., of Northcourt
House, Charteris, Cambridgeshire. (^Hoare'' s Afod. Wilts., H, 4; Berry's
Hants. Genealogies.)
6. LEE OF DE LEE MAGNA, KENT.
Arms : Azure, on a fess cotised or, tliree leopards' heads erased, gules.
Derive their descent from Symon Lee, "descended from ancestors in
co: Worcester," whose son, John Lee, was of Wolksted in Surrev, and
whose son. Sir Richard Lee. Knt., was Lord ^Layor of London. 1461, and
1470. The last named purcliased the estate of De Lee Magna, or Great
Delce, in Kent. Edward Lee, Lord Archbishop of York (1531-44), was
of this family ; the elder line became extinct in the reign of Queen Anne.
The Lees of Southwell, Notts., of Pinchinthorpe, Yorks. , of Pinhoe and
Totnes, in Devon., were cadets. {Berrfs Kent Genealogies, 172.
Haste J s Kent, I, 173; H, 55. Harl. Soc.,'^\, 348. Graves'" Chveland,
434-)
7. LEA OF HALES OWEN GRANGE, SALOP, AND KINGS-
NORTON, WORCESTERSHIRE.
Arms: Argent, on a pale between two leopards' faces, sable, three crescents or.
Originally of Lea Green, Kingsnorton, where they appear in the i6th
century. By the marriage of William Lea of Hales Owen, in 1709, with
Frances, daughter of the Hon. William ^Vard, and sister and heir of
Thomas, Lord Dudley, his son, Ferdinando Dudley Lea became heir (in
1740) to the Barony of Dudley, but died unmarried in 1757, when the
title fell into abeyance. i^Her. and Gen., V, 213; \T, z^i-)
\ t ,11
?,-J'
22 THE LEF.S OF ENGLAND.
8. lEY OF BEREFERRF.RS, DEVON., AND OF TEFFONT
EVL'VS, WILTSHIRE.
Arnib: Argent, a chevron between three seals' heads, sable.
Of this family, uho were also of Kempthorne in Devon., and of
Morwinstow, Cornwall, was Flenry Ley of Teffont Evias who, by his wife,
Dyonisia, daughter of Walter de St. Maur, Esq., had issue six sons, of
whom the youn-est was Sir James Ley, Knt. and Bart., Baron Ley and
Earl of Marlborough, and Lord High Treasurer of England; he died in
1628, aged 78. A splendid monument to his memory remains at Westbury
in Wilts. He has been referred to by Milton (in a sonnet to his daughter
Margaret) as,
"That Good Earl, once President
Of England's Council and lier Treasuiy,
Who lived, in both, unstained with gold or fee,
And left them both, more in himself content."
■ William, fourth Earl, died without issue in 1679, when the earldom
became extinct, to be revived later as a dukedom in the Churchill family.
{Hoan-'s Mod. IVi/fs., W, in; HI, 35. IVesf. Aiitiq., IV, 175. Complde
Peerage, V, 251. Jlarl. Soc, V, i:?;.)
9. LEIGH OF ADDIXGTON, SURREY.
Arms: Or, on a chevron sable, ihiee lions' rampant, argent.
William a Lyghe was of East Leigh in Kent about 1327, from whom
was descended ]o\\\\ Leigh, Esq., slieriff of Surrey in 1469. He purchased
Addington in 1417, and founded a flourishing family there and at Abing-
worth, whose elder line became extinct in 1732. They were Grand Masters
of Sergeantry, and held Addington by service of carrying the first dish at
the coronation feast of tlie king. {Hahfef s Kent. II. 173. Bcrrf s Surrey
Gen., 101. Gent. Md;.:;., VI, 632.)
10. 1<EE OF HLGIILEY, SALOP.
The first of this family v/as Rcnulf de Leges (1120), who was, per-
haps, descended from Edric fit/, Aluric, the Saxon feofce of the estate at the
Conquest, or, more probably, from some usurping Xorman, who replaced
him in his fiefs after Duo:nsday. The family took their surname from the
estate, which was at first called Lega or Lee, and afterward Hughley, from
the Christian name of one of the later lords of the manor (Flugo de Lee,
.if:
' 'M
•.; :'.l
-:i , .".-J
; •,;• rni\ -jii'l'
LEE OF HARTWELL, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
23
occurs 1213 to 1262), presenting the curious result that while the family
had taken its name from the manor, the manor, in its turn, took its distinc-
tive name from a member of the tamily.
This Hugh Lee has been, by the Herald's College and, follou'ing their
authority, by many others, plac ed as the prepositor of the Lees of Langley
and Coton, an utter anachronism, as, when we examine the evidence, we
find that while Hugh de Lee might have been a brother, or, still more
probably, a nephew or cousin, of Sir Reyner de Lee, the real ancestor of
the Lees of the latter line, it is preposterous to suppose that he was his
father, as he occurs over forty years after Reyner's death, and the suc-
cession of his son to his estates. The documentary proof of this is conclu-
sive and overwhelming. {Eyton' s Antiq. Salop, VI, 302.)
LEE OF HARTWELL, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
Anns : Azure, two hars or, a bend chenue or, and gules.
Among the dozen or more families that trace their descent from the
parent stock of Leigh of High Leigh, Cheshire (as shown by Mr. J. Henry
Lea), are the Lees of Hartwell, who settled in Bucks in the beginning of
Henry IV. 's reign. William Leigh, of Moreton, in the parish of Dinton,
died in i486. Fourth in descent from him was Sir Thomas Lee, Knt., of
Moreton, who married Eleanor, the daughter and eventually the heiress of
Michael Hampden, Esq., of Hartwell, and had twenty- tour children. He
was succeeded by his son, Thomas, and he, in turn, by a Thomas, whose
eldest son, also a Thomas, was created a L.aronet on the i6th of August,
1660. This Sir Thomas Lee served many years in Parliament, and '•' was much
admired for his elegant speeches in the House of Commons, where he was a
leader in the debates." His son, another Sir Thomas, also a member of Parlia-
ment, left four sons : i, Thomas, his successor at Hartwell and in Parliament ;
2, William, Privy Councillor and Lord Chief Justice of England ; 3, John, a
colonel in the Guards ; 4, Sir George, LL.D., a privy councillor and treas-
urer to the Princess Dowager of Wales. Third in descent from this Sir
Thomas was Sir George, rector of Hartwell, etc., who died in 1S27, unmar-
ried, when the Baronetcy expired. The Hartwell estate is said to have been
in the possession of this family, /. c, tlie Hampiliiis, since 126S. The pres-
ent owner is Edward Dyke Lee, who recently inherited it from an uncle.
Hartwell was for some time the residence of Louis XVIII. while exiled
from the throne of France, and became well known throughout Europe at
that time as the headquarters of the Bourbon family. {Lipscoinbt:'' 5 Bucks.
I, 163, II, 303. Divinn s Visit, of Wales, I, 199.)
;[: r\i.\ri A' -hi JZtiS hiU
-J
24 THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
LEES OF LANGEEY AND COTOX.
]iY William Bi.ackstom Lke, Eso., Seknu, Wilts.
Lee of Lea, Aldon, Alderton, Hadnall, Stanton, Roden, Pimhill, Ber-
ringlon, etc., fioui about 1150 to 1380, and afterward of Langley, Lea
Hall, Acton Burncll, Xordley Regis, and Coton Hall, all in Shropshire.
Also of Ankerwycke imd Wraysbury, Bucks. Also of Cholderton, Wilts,
and Buriton, Hants.
Arms : Gu. a fesse cbequy or and az. between ten billets arg. four in chief, and three,
two, one in base. This is the form in which tlie arms were certified to each branch of the
family (represented respectively by Richard Lee of Langley and Humphrey Lee of Coton)
at the first visitation in 1569. and to this form the Coton branch has nearly always adhered,
while the Langley branch has borne the fesse, sometimes chequy, sometimes counter-
compony, and has varied the numher of billets. There is no heraldic distinction between
the two branches, but it is shown by ancient seals that the earliest form of fesse was
counter-compony, and wh.en Sir Humphrey Lee certified the pedigree for both branches of
the family in 1623 the coat then allowed to him bore the fesse in that foim. (The above
statement is from an oTicial report on the arms of the family by C. H. Athill, Esq., Ricb-
laond Herald.)
Crest : On a staff raguly lying fesseway.- a squirrel sejant proper cracking a nut (or
acorn), from the dexter end of the stall a hazel (or oak) branch vert fructed or.
Motto : Xe Incautus Futuri.
fluarteriugs : l.an\;Uy branch : Astley, azure a cinqfoil pierced erm. within a bordure
en'T-r. of the second. Burnell, az. a lion ramp, guard, arg. guttee de sang, crowned Of
Peshall ar-.^. a cross fleury s.a. on a canton gu. a lion's head era--ed of the first crowned or.
Sprenchose, per fesse gu. and vcrt a fc-:se arg. in chief a chevron of the last. Coton hranch :
Astley az. a cinqfoil pierced t. rm. within a bordure engr. of the second.
The pedigree of this family, which is op.e of the oldest in England, is
registered at the Herald's College, and covers a period of about 750 years,
the representatives at t!ic different visitalii.ms having been as follows :
1569. Richard Lee, Esq., of Langley, and Humphrey Lee, Esq., of
Coton.
1 5 84. John Lee, Esq., of Coton.
1623. Sir Humjihrey Lee, Bart., of Langley, who certified the pedigree
for both branches.
1663. Thomas Lee, Esq., of Coton.
From this last date the pedigree is certified by William lilackstone Lee,
Esq., the present representative.
The late Rev. R. W. I^yton and the late Sir \Villiam Hardy, Keeper of
the Records in the Ofilce of the Duchy of Lancaster, two most able antiqua-
.1 f: . v, A
LEES OF LANCLEV AND COTON.
25
riansand genealogists, have thrown a great deal of h'ght on the early history
of this family, and have brought that part of the pedigree to an unusual
degree of fullness. The former in his History of Shropshire treats of every
well-known family in the county ; the latter made a special study of that of
Lee. Flis MS. collections t'rom the English Records are voluminous, while
his correspondence with Eyton shows that with regard to this particular
family the latter was greatly indebted to him. Their researches show that
the Lee possessions in Shropshire were very large, and that many of the
family were knighted in early times, the last being Sir Thomas de Lee or
Atte Lee, Sheriff in 1395. One of them. Sir John de la Lee, was Knight
of the Shire in the Parliament of York in 1322, and again at Westminster
in 1324. From the time of Reigner de Lee's Shrievalty in 1201, the family
have filled that office nine times. There are two or three instances of con-
fusion in the early part of the pedigree ; but it is remarkable, that in one
going back to such remote times, it has been possible ' by satisfactory
evidence to set right the only errors which have been actually proved. And
here it may be as well to add a few words on the value of the Heralds'
College records, as much misconception exists with regard to them.
In the first place, the College is the only existing authority on ques-
tions of coats of armour and descent. With regard to the former there is no
appeal against its decisions, while as to the latter its testimony is in itself
legal evidence, which can only be upset by better evidence to the contrary.
In the second place, it must be remembered that the primary object of the
Visitations was not to record j^iedigrees, but to ascertain who were entitled
to bear arms. In early times the number of armigerous families in any
given county was very small. They were people of distinction, and any
impostor assuming the coat of arms of a well-known family would have been
detected at once. Hence the bearing of a particular coat was most valuable
evidence of descent, and this fact was recognized by the highest authority
when the Visitations were instituted. They were taken under Royal Com-
mission, and one of the instructions to the Heralds was that any person
[)roving to their satisfaction that his ancestors had borne a particular coat
before the date of the battle of Agincourt (141 5) was to have his claim
allowed. The proofs submitted to the Lleralds would, of course, consist of
all kinds of evidence, oral and documentary, and would include that
derived from inscriptions on tombstones then existing, armorial devices,
etc., etc. It is obvious that an immense mass of evidence must have been
produced, much of which has now perished or is impossible to recover.
Of its sufficiency the Heralds v/ere the sole judges, and having once given
their decision they were under no obligation to keep any record of the
'J. \ ^!:
■-■i
26 • THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
proofs upon which it was founded. They did, however, in most cases
record more or le.-,s fully tlie pedi-rces of those whose claims they allowed
but the means for securing the absolute accuracy insisted on at the present
day did not then exist, and errors may no doubt be found in most pedi<^rees
going back to very enrly limes, and founded in great measure upon charters
in the possession of tiie family. 'Ihe Heralds made the best of the evidence
before them, and having established tlie fact that the descent in the main
was true, they "allowed," /. e., acknowledged the right to the arms in
question. Their "allowance " of the arms and the pedigrees recorded are
legal evidence in any Court of Law in the Kingdom. And that evidence
is two-fold. In the first place, the allowance of the arms is evidence of
descent from a particular family. h\ the second place, the recorded pedigree
is in any given case evidence of innnediate parentage. The descent of any
individual prior to the date of Agincourt from a family distinguished bv a
particular coat of arms having once been established by the Heralds, his
claim and that of his descendants does not (to use the words of C. H.
Athill, Esq., Richmond Herald) re>t ui)on the accuracy of his description
in the registered pcdijiree, but upon the fact of the heralds being satisfied
that he bore those arms prior to 1415, the date of .Vgincourt. And the
onus of proof does not lie on his descendants, but on any one who would
dispute their claim. The allowance of the arms is legal evidence that their
ancestor belonged to a particular family, and can only be upset by better
evidence to the contrary.
To return to the Lee pedigree, the early part of which is chiefly
founded on tlie charters or deeds belonging to Sir Humphrey Lee. The
first name is that of Hugo de Lega, who is given as father of " Reginaldus
de la Lee, cui Willus filius Willi nlii Alani ad peticoem Lulconis filii Warini
concesrt terras." This Reginald is the same witli Reyner de Lee, who is
given by Eyton as the first of the name known to him, and who "towards
the close of the 12th century acquired Alderton from Fulke Fitz Warin, who
held it under Fitz Alai;." The actual wording oi the charter compared
with the description quoted above from the pedigree will show this identity.
"Willus filius Willi filii Alani omnibus xp'i fidelibus ad quos prsesens
Charla pervencrit salutem. Sciatis me ad peticoem Fulconis filii Warini
concessisse Reign' o de Le totam tram ipsius Fulconis, de Aluerton qua; est
de feodo meo quam i})se Fulco dedit eidem Reign'o pro homagio suo et pro
XX'' marcis argenti et uno palfrido, etc." The spelling of the name with
a^and its abbreviation Reign'us might easily account for its appearing by
a clerical error in the pedigree as Reginaldus. We find, however, in old
documents that the same name was frequently spelt in a variety of ways.
-i: .. J
(:;:!;
/.l:;.
LEES OF LANOLEY AND COTON.
27
and there is certainly a strong resemblance between the names Reyner,
Reigner, Rainald, Reignold, and Reginald. The transcriber of the pedi-
gree may have taken the very reasonable view that they were essentially the
same, and have used the form Reginald, not in error at all, but deliberately.
The point, however, is not of importance, as the identity in this case is
quite clear.
This Reginald or Reigner de Le was Sheriff, as FitzAlan's deputy, in
120T, and according to Blakeway, in his "Sheriffs of Shropshire," is the
first of the family on record as bearing the fesse and billets which have been
their coat-of-arms ever since, and which, carried by Richard Lee to his
Virginian home and borne by generations of his descendants, are still to be
seen there on ruined houses and old silver, giving witness to the race of
which he came.
Eyton disputed the statement of the pedigree that Reigner was son of
Hugo de Lega, but it does not appear that he gives any proofs in support
of his opinion. Mr. J. H. Lea, who has devoted a considerable amount of
time to the history of this family, quotes an instance in vrhich Roger de
Leg' appears as defendant with Reyner de Le in the suit of William de
Wodston for lands, etc., in Culemere, anno 1203. These co-defendants
may very likely have been brothers. In any case, it would be rash to
attempt any hard and fast distinction between the names de Le, de Lega,
and de Leg'. Indeed, one cannot doubt that Reigner de Le himself is
identical with Reiner de Lega, who appears as one of the sixteen knights at
the Salop assizes in 1203.
With regard to the deed from Fulke FitzWarin, the following are
Eyton's words in a letter of April, 1S52: "The deed is extremely impor-
tant. It can be dated within two years, for Hugh de Say, the father of
Flelias the witness, was living November 12th, 1194 (z-iJe Rot. Cur. Regis,
Vol. I), and Mag"" Rolr de Salop was consecrated Bishop of Bangor, 17th
March, 1197. When I add that Reginald de Heding, who occupies a
prominent position as a witness, was not entitled to such prominence by his
possessions, but was imder Sheriff to FitzAlan from September, 1195, to
September, 1196, I think we have a fair presumption of the date of the
deed."
It is clear from the date of the Bishop of Bangor's consecration that
the deed was given before 1197, and the other particulars leave little doubt
that it Mas not earlier than 1194. We know that Reigner was Sheriff in
1 201 and he does not seem to occur after 1210. His date of birth may
therefore fairly be taken -as circa 1150-1170. His son is given in the
pedigree as Sir John de la Lee and the son of Sir John as Sir Thomas. It
. . : .:; y..'. -■ !-.\ <n _,.< j
•>.: J
K) : ..f^
■I •. . \ <
n ■':■;"> vi..' "lo )jrjfi
28 THE I.EES OK ENGLAND.
appears, however, from the researches of Eyton and Hardy that two genera-
tions are here misplaced, and that Rcigner's son was Sir "I'homas, while
John, given as Sir Thomas's father, was really his son. In proof of Sir
Thomas being son to Reigner, Eyton writes, " Thomas de Lee was certainly
son of Reyner, the two, as father and son, grant conjointly 2^. rent in
Weston to Haghmon, and another deed shews Thomas confirming his father
Reyner's grant."
Sir Thomas (living circa 1221-125S) married Petronilla, daughter of
Sir Thomas Corbet, Sheriff of Salop 3S Hen. HI. (1253-4) and had two
sons besides Sir John, viz.: Reyner (called again Reginald in the pedigree)
and Sir Thomas, who is also given in the pedigree. The latter married
Petronilla de Stanton, heiress of the Stantons of Stanton Hineheath, Acton
Reynald, etc., through whom an unbroken descent is given by Eyton from
Richard, Lord of Stanton Hineheath, in 10S6. The identity of Reyner and
Reginald is here again shown by comparing the description in the pedigree
" Reginaldus cui pater ejus dedit villam de Lee subtus Pevenhull " with the
wording of the charter "Thomas de la Lee miles dedit Reynero filio suo
totam villam de Lee subtus Pevenhull." In the pedigree this Reyner or
Reginald is called filius primogenitus, br.t this is clearly an addition made in
error. He is not so described in the deed, while Eyton and Hardy give
evidence that Sir Thomas's eldest son was John. The next step in the
pedigree shows a second Sir John as son to Reginald or Reyner and mar-
ried to Matilda de Erdington. Here again there seems undoubtedly to be
confusion, and it is little to be wondered at, for on examining the pedigree
by the light of Eyton and Hardy's researches we find the first Sir Thomas
married to Petronilla Corbet ; two of his sons, John and Thomas, married to
Petronilla de Drayton and Petronilla de Stanton ; and each of his three
sons. Sir John, Sir Thomas, and Reyner, having a son John, two of these
last three Johns being knighted. The one who married Matilda de Erding-
ton seems to have been son of Thomas and of course nephew to Reyner, not
son, as given in the pedigree. He again had an eldest son John, who was
knighted, and a daughter Matilda, besides a second son, Sir Thomas de Lee
of Okehirst, married (according to Hardy) to Sibilla. This last Sir John
is shown in the pedigree as having a son Robert who married Margaret
Astley, the heiress of another very ancient family (showing an unbroken
descent from 1100-1135) and was the first Lee of Colon. It is quite cer-
tain from documentary evidence, including the In(|uisition Post Mortem of
Margaret herself, that her husband's name was Roger, not Robert, and Sir
W. Hardy thought it most probable that he was younger son of Sir John
Lee's brother. Sir Thomas of Okehirst, whose eldest son was, according to
,p/ ,rti;c ' II'
::i:\il'i'.:\-
■i.i
LEES OF LANGLEY AND COTON.
39
Hardy, Sir Thomas Lee, Sheriff in 1395. One of the Harleian MSS. of
about 1593 supports this view as follows : "Sir Thomas Lee Knight, temp.
E. 3, had issue Roger Lee, Esq., a secound sonne whoe mar. Margaret
daughter and lieire of Thomas Aveley (Astley) sonne to Roger sonne to
John (J" the 2 had another John to his sone) and had issue John Lee, Esq.,
whoe mar. J ... so ... e (Jocosa or Joyce) Packington, etc., etc., etc."
(MS. Harl. 2163 fo. 40 b.) The date of this MS. is shown by its refer-
ence to the children of Thomas Lee of Coton. Only Richard (bapt. Oct.,
1591) and Elinor are mentioned. Garret (bapt. Nov., 1593) and Launcelot,
afterwards of Coton, (bapt. 1594) are not given. The MS. may therefore
be taken as written between Oct., 1591, and Nov., 1593.
Eyton in writing to Hardy says he can throw no light upon the ques-
tion and that the only thing clear is that Lee of Langley and Lee of Coton
bore the same arms. Sir Wm. Hardy's opinion is of course entitled to great
weight ; but both he and Eyton. as their correspondence shov.-s, had some-
times in constructing their pedigrees to satisfy themselves with the balance
of probabilities, provided the main facts were established by direct evidence.
In this case the main fact as to Roger Lee's descent is established by the
Herald's allowance of arms at the first Visitation and their confirmation of
the same at subsequent ones. Whether he was son, nephew, or cousin to
Sir John Lee is not of vital importance. The statement in the Harl. MS.
that he was son of Sir Thomas, though probable enough, is not supported by
direct evidence, and the registered statement as to his immediate parentage
is good evidence till disproved. There is indirect evidence showing that
he was probably (as stated in the Harl. MS.) a younger son in any case;
certainly he must have been so if he was son of Sir John.
We now come to a point where two important errors occur in the pedi-
gree. The first Lee of Coton is there shown as having two sons by Mar-
garet Astley, Roger the elder married to Joanna, heiress of Edward Burnell
(of Acton P.urnell and Langlev), and John, the younger of Nordley Regis
(and Coton). It is certain, from documentary evidence (including the Inq.
P. M. on the death of Margaret and the livery of lands to John Lee), that the
latter was son and heir to Roger and Margaret ; while the evidence adduced
by Eyton and Hardy shows that the first Lee of Langley was Roger, son of
John de Lee of Pimhill and Lea Hall, descended from Reyner, younger son
of Sir Thomas de Lee and Petronilla Corbet. Further, in the pedigree,
Robert de Lee of Roden, married to Petronilla, is given as son of the above
Roger and his wife Johanna Burnell, whereas the documentary evidence
shows that Petronilla was daughter and heir to Roger and Johanna, while
her husband, Robert, was son of John de Lee of Roden, Stanton, etc.
i '• ^ .oS
11
3° THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
The evidence given by the Kerald's allowance of arms as to the descent
of the first two Lees of Langley is thus confirmed by the same documents
which disprove the evidence of the pedigree as to their immediate parentage.
The above-mentioned marriage of Robert de Lee of Roden, etc., with
Petronilla de Lcc of Langiey united in their son Ralph all the estates, except
Coton and Nordley, inherited or acquired by the family since the 12th
century. For about 250 years longer this great inheritance was handed
down from father to son till the death of Sir Richard Lee, in 1660. His
father, Sir Humphrey, was a second son, and during his elder brother's life
practiced as a barrister, having been admitted of the Inner Temple in 1578
(entered as H. Lea of Langley, Salop, gent.). He succeeded, however, in
15 9 1, to the estates on the death of his father, who survived his eldest son.
He was Sheriff in 1600, and was created a baronet by James L, May 3d.
1620, being the first Shropshire gentk-rnan to receive that honour. He died
in 1633 and was succeeded by his son Richard, second and last baronet.
Sir Richard was a staunch Royalist, he attended the King at Oxford and
suffered much in his cause, being reduced to compound for his estate.^
He was M. P. for Salop and served as Sheriff in 1639. He died in 1660,
when his estates were divided between his two daughters, Rachel, married
to Ralph Cleaton, and ^b.ry, married to Edward Smythe, who was created a
baronet soon after the Restoration. Although the Langley branch thus came
to an end and the chief possessions of the family passed into other hands at
Sir Richard Lee's deatii in 1660, the Coton branch still continued to flourish.
Fifth in descent from Roger and Margaret we find John l,ee, born in 15 28, as
appears from the Inq. P. M. in ]\Larch, 15S8-9, on the death of his father,
Humfrey. He married Jovce Romney and died in 1605, leaving directions in
his will that he should be buried at Chesham, in lUickinghamshire, if he
should happen to die there. He did die tliere, and there he was buried,
having had eight sons, of whom Thomas, his heir, was his successor at
Coton, and William, the second son, died young. The order of their birth
is thus given by their father at the ^'isitation of 15S4 :— Thomas, son and
heir; Gilbert, 4; Jasper, 5; Richard, 6; Edward, 3; William, 2, died
young; Ferdinand, 7; Josias, 8. The only ones of these (except, of
course, Thomas) of whom any subsequent trace has yet been found are
Edward, whose death is recorded in 161 6, and Gilbert, who seems to have
" Upon Saturdaye moriiynme the XXIJfl of ffebniary. 1644. Coloncll .Mytton and Colonel! Bayer on
the p-hamt side, w<h abo.it. fyftcene hundred horse and foote did very Secretlie and ciringlie enter
Shrowesbury.etc." " T!ie names of the Kni,dites and men ofnoate taken vrsouen. in the same Towne weire.
Sir Nicholas Byron, Sir Kich.ird Lee," an,i many others. " Upon takin^e of S!;rowesbury the Kinges ptie
burned and quytt Lea Ha!l, and Tonge Castie." etc. (.NLilban and Enrghairs Civil War Memorials,
Ckeshin, etc., p. 1^4-5.) — EurroR.
LEES OF LANGLEV AND COTON.
31
settled in Essex! At least it is difficult to resist the conclusion that he must
have been the Gilbert Lee of ToUeshunt Darcy, whose will was proved in
162 1, leaving brothers Richard and Josias and nephew John. Jasper was
probably dead when his father made his will, 17th May, 1605, as his name
is not mentioned therein, but he may possibly have been married and left
children. In the Visitation of 1623 Ferdinand, Josias, and William are
marked s. p. What descendants may have been left by any of these
brothers is at present unknown. Gilbert's will mentioniiig no child, of
course makes it improbable that he left any, but what of Edward, Richard,
and Jasper? The question is very interesting in view of the problem as to
the immediate parentage of Colonel Richard Lee, the first of the Virginian
branch, as either of the brothers might, in point of time, have been his
father. The will of the eldest brother, Thomas of Coton, was proved
October 9th, 1621, appointing as overseer " My well beloved kinsman. Sir
Humphrey Lee Knight Barronnett," thus showing an affectionate intimacy
between the two branches of Langley and Coton down to the time when the
former was near its extinction.
Thomas Lee of Coton married Dorothy Oteley, and had two sons and
six daughters. The second son, John, became a successful merchant, and
purchased the estate of Ankerwycke, in Buckinghamshire. He married
Mary Pollard, and had two sons, George of Stoke Milbro, Salop, and John,
who in 16S5 bought an estate at Wraysbury, Bucks. He had also a daugh-
ter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Philip Harcourt, ^L P. for Oxfordshire, and
in her descendants the Ankerwycke estate still continues. John Lee died
in 16S2, and was buried in the Harcourt Chapel at Stanton Harcourt. His
coat of arms on his tombstone bears fourteen billets. His elder brother,
Lancelot of Coton, married twice, and left a family by each wife. By the
first, Jane Clemson, he had three sons: John, who died unmarried;
Thomas, who succeeded him at Coton, and Richard, who is identified by
E. C. Mead, in his Gcnealcyical History of ihi' Lee Fai)iily, with Colonel
Richard Lee, the Virginian. There is no foundation v/hatever for this
assumption, and it is disp.roved by the fact that Thomas Lee of Coton, Rich-
ard's own brother, in certifying the pedigree at the \'isitation of 1663, gives
Richard as being of the parish of St. Olave's, Southwark, and married to
Elizabeth, daughter of Walter Langdon, of Cornwall ; whereas Colonel
Richard Lee, in his will of about the same date, names his wife Anna, who
is also shown by the Land Patent Records of \"irginia to have been his wife
when he first settled there in 1641-2.
Thomas Lee, above mentioned, of Coton Hall, was J. P. for Salop, Sur-
rey and Kent, and J. P. and D. L. for Middlesex. He married, ist, Dorothy
■ ■ , . > ,' it. I'l
: , ■^■,-cI
32 . THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
Eldred, of a Norfolk family, and descended also from the family of Wil-
liam of Wykeham ; 2d. Lady Mary, daughter of the Earl of I.indsey, K.
G., and 3d, Charity, wid.ow of his brother-in-law, John Eldred. He died
in 16S7, having had three sons and a daughter by his first and two daugh-
ters by his third wife. The second son, Thornas, married Elizabeth, daugh-
ter of Jonathan Hill, Esq.. of West Cholderion and Winterbourne Dancey
Wilts, and became ancestor of the Lees of Cholderton, Wilts and Buriton,
Hants, now represented by the Rev. Lancelot John Lee, of Worthen, Shrop-
shire, J. P. The third son. John, was rector of Crowmarsh, Oxon. The
eldest son. Eldred Lancelot, of Coton Hall, J. P., married Isabella, daugh-
ter of Sir Henry Gough, of Perry Hall, Staffordshire. He died in 1734,
having had three sons and eight daughters. The eldest son, Lancelot Lee,
of Coton Hall, married, ist, Elizabeth, daughter of Gervase Scrope, Esq.,
of Cockerington, Lincolnshire; 2d, Ann Elizabeth, -daughter of John
Michel, Esq., of Kingston Russell and ^)e^^'lish House, Dorset; and 3d,
Catherine, daughter of Sir Joseph Danvers, Bart. By his second wife he
left two daughters and one son, Harry Laiicelot Lee, of Coton Hall, J. P.,
who married Jane, daughter of the Rev. E. Cox, and died in [821, leaving
an only child, Catherine Anne Harriet, l.^y whose marriage with J. ^L
W'ingfield, Esq., of Tickencote Hall, Rutland, the Coton estate passed to
that family, and has since been sold. . Thumas, the third son of Eldred
Lancelot Lee, died unmarried. Harry, the second son, entered the Church
and became AVarden of Winchester College, from whose founder, William
of Wykeham, he was, as we have seen, descended. He married Caroline,
daughter of Joh.n Michel. Esq., of Kingston Russell, and ]3ewlish, and had
two sons, ILirry (Rev.), of Kingsgate blouse, AVinchester, and Lancelot
Charles, Rector of Wootton, Oxturdshire, who died unmarried in 1S41.
The elder son, Harr}-, married l^hilippa, daughter of Sir William Black-
stone, and had two sons and a daughter. Harry, the elder son, of Kings-
gate House, J. P., and A'icar of North Bradley, married Julia, eldest
daughter of Gorges Lowther, E<(\., formerly ?^L P. for Ratoath, and died
without issue in iSSo. V/illiam Blackstone, the younger son. Rector of
Wootton, married Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Thomson, Esq., Master in
Chancery, by his wife, Anne Dalzell Thomson, of Dalzells. St. Kitts, de-
scended from the first Earl ot Carnwath. 'I'hey had five children, of whom
two survive: Constance Ainie, unmarried, and William Blackstone. present
representative of the family. Mr. Lee is J. P. for Wilts, and married in 1S74
>Laud Ellen Legh, daughter of W. AL Bridger, Esq., of Halnaker House,
Sussex and the Chantry,. Bradfordon-Avon. j. P. for Sussex and Wilts, by
his wife, Sophia, daughter of Clorges Lowther, Esq., formerly of Kilrue,
U:&\\
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Lees ©f SKr^psktrc fcab Xan^ ley 5. Coton
-
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in itfU. LucJ ^a jiu^^l^ fI<t-T<-a« C^rftl^cf. HtWFHKEY .rK.^
S:^ John hxfnx.^^ncr^* OiHi aa.: --v:4Ca<A2). JoKM I>Via'^ Cshco&^ VacK'
^^tC^ii^C^^vtc - ^^ ^^ «^^ aivil| 5^ Thomas uiw 4vi. oW^.- 'H^^vf
<rcH cnvL S0V1 John ik^fiikcv ^•(Umn. <2x^ci^W>o . ^ ^4^0^^
Aci- ^ S<ouo Thomas , Ri^j Kcri-i WluuAN->,Hri>) A/^ a«»-<uyt^'' , EglVAP-C;
t« «*:ji
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*w aocL^tiX 4V1UJ -lk<ui.<^c t^lp-^'^r c^f f>U^^.vJt^t ^^.v^^
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34 THE LEES OF EN(^,LAND.
family identified (without evidence of any kind) with Colonel Richard
Lee of Virginia is, as we have already seen, Richard younger brother of
Thomas I.ee of Coton, born in 1622 and married to Elizabeth Langdon of
Cornwall.
Not long after this the Rev. Dr. F. G. Lee, of Lambeth, produced
what he was pleased to call the L/;u-c7/ descent of the late General Robert
E. Lee of Virginia. Here the early part of the pedigree of the Lees of
Ditchley is taken, and thereon is grafted from the Coton pedigree the above
mentioned husband of Elizabeth Langdon, as the seventh son of Sir Robert
Lee of Hulcott and brother to Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley. This arrange-
ment was published by Dr. Lee in a well-known genealogical magazine,
and probably has been accepted b\- many readers as a statement of ascer-
tained fact.
The real fact>, however, have at last been n:iade known and the evi-
dence published, first by Mr. J. H. Lea in the Xeiu England Genealogical
and Historical Register, for January. 1S90, and secondly by the present
representative of the Shropshire family in the same magazine in which Dr.
Lee's arrangement appeared, viz. : the " Miscellanea Genealogica et Her-
aldica," edited by Dr. J. J. Howard, in the numbers for July and August,
1892. The evidence produced by Mr. Lea .that the seventh son of Sir
Robert Lee died in youth is, as he justly says, convincing to any mind open
to conviction, while that produced by the present representative is absolute
proof that Colonel Richard Lee was either of the Shropshire family or an
impostor. His descent from that family is attested by one who knew him
intimately and :c'ho 'was an officer of the College of Arms. He claimed that
descent himself and his descendants have done so for 200 years. He was a
distinguished gentleman, a loyal Cavalier, and Secretary of State in Vir-
ginia. In the face of these facts, until his immediate parentage is proved,
it is of course open to any one to argue that he was a gross impostor, but it
is not too much to a;sk that any one who holds that belief should at least
give some reason for it. None has hitherto been suggested. That, being
an impostor, he should al.-)0 be brother to Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley is,
even if Mr. Lea had not produced his invaluable evidence, so monstrous a
proposition that the mere statement of it is enough to refute it. The two
families were alike in position and. rank, the Lichfield peerage not having
yet been created. Ditchley. which happily still remains in the hands of Lady
Charlotte Lee's lineal descendants, a home worthv of an ancient race, has
been made famous by a great writer, in whose pages the name of the beautiful
old place and t!iat of its knightir owner will live while the English language
endures. Un the other iiaiul, thou-h neither Langlev. Lea Hall. Acton
,1 :,.!.! V:
LEES OF LANGLEV AND COTON.
35
Burnell, nor Coton, are celebrated places, still from the time of Reigner de
Le, Sheriff in i2or, his descendants were represented by knights and gen-
tlemen, serving their king as soldiers, or their country as Sheriffs and in
Parliament, before families which now pride themselves on their antiquity
had ever been heard of. It is incredible that a son of either house should
try to hide his true origin, yet that is the assumption on which alone Dr.
Lee's unsupported assertion must rest.
At the same time it is well that any one interested in this matter should
know the evidence that exists, and therefore, by the kind permission of Dr.
Howard, a reprint of the article in his magazine is here given :
In Volume I, Second Series, Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica,
a pedigree was given assuming that Colonel Richard Lee, the ancestor of the
Lees of Virginia, was seventh .son of Sir Robert Lee of Hulcott, instead of
being descended from the Shropshire family of Langley and Coton Hall, as
had been generally believed. - "
I propose to shew — ;
1. That this assumption is prima facie so improbable as to require the
strongest confirmation. ^ K-<r-"K')f^ '—" >
2. That no such confirmation exists. -^ * *-" ^ ^■~"^»^'^
3. That there is convincing evidence to the contrary.
Firstly, as to the improbability of the assumption, it is only necessary
to point out that Sir Robert Lee of Hulcott married Lucy Pigott in 1561,
and that she was the nuthcr of all his cJiiLlren, whereas the Land Patent
Records of Virginia shew that Colonel Richard Lee settled in America
about 1641-2, and his will proves that his eldest son was under iS in 1663.
The will was made when the testator was startii;g for Virginia with a young
family 102 years after the marriage of Lucy Pigott. Sir Robert Lee's third
son, Benedict, was baptized in 1576, and would therefore have been 87
in 1663. There were only three sons and a d.uighter between him and
Richard.
Secondly, as to the evidence necessary to outweigh the improbability
shown above. Sir Roiiert Lee's nuncupative will describes him as of Strat-
ford Langton, and shows that he died there, but desired to be buried at
Flardwicke. His eldest son was Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley. Colonel
Richard Lee describes him.^elf in his will as " lately of Strafford Langton,"
and one of the family in America called his house Ditchley. That is all.
.■\s to any evidence such as one would exjiect in the way of wills or other
documents, correspondence, or armorial bearimj;>, there is absolutely nothing
to confirm the oric:inal assumption.
36 ■ THE I.EES OK ENf.LANI).
Let US take the Stratford clue first. Colonel Richard certainly had a
considerable estate in that neighbourhood. He mentions it in his will, and
his great-grandson William (son of Thomas Lee of Strattbrd House) thus
refers to it: "By his will he ordered an estate in England (I think) near
Stratford by Bow in Middlesex, at that time worth ^Soo or ^900 per
annum, to be sold." Now if this estate had been left by Sir Robert Lee
to his seventii son, such bequest must have appeared in his will, but there is
nothing of the kind, or anything to show that he possessed land at Strat-
ford. He seems to have resided there for some time, but was buried in
Buckinghamshire, and the fact of Colonel Richard having possessed so con-
siderable an estate rather tells against his having been one of the younger
children of so large a family.
Search, however, has been made to ascertain whether there \\ere other
Lees in the neighbourhood of Stratford from whom Richard Lee might be
descended. The records at Somerset House reveal the following : —
Richard Lee of Stratford T.angton occurs 157S in the will of Thomas
Hitchcock.
Brian Lee of Stepney (the adjacent parish). Daughter married John
Lott, : 590.
Gilbert Lee of Stepney. Died 1611.
Fulke Lee of Stepney. Died 161 4.
Francis Lee of St. Peter's, Cornhill. Left "houses, lands, and tene-
ments at Stratford Langthorne," 1618.
Sir John Lee of Stepney. ^Larried Joan Lott, 1633.
Sir Robert Lee of Stepney. GranddaughteY married William Cullum,
»635-
Humphrey Lee of Stratford Langthorne. Died 1645.
Sarah Lee of Stepney, widow. Died 1656.
It is remarkable that three of the names given above — viz., Gilbert,
Fulke, and Humphrey — were in use in the Shropshire family at and before
the period in ijuestion. See pedigree at the College of Arms. ' It is known
also that Gilbert Lee of the Coton Branch settled in Essex. (Will proved
1621, Dale, 84.)
These records show that there were plenty of Lees in the neighborhood
of Stratford, and the fact of the emigrant describing himself in 1663 as
" lately of Strafford I^angton " is therefore no reason for connecting him
particularly with Sir Robert Lee who died there in 1616. Such a reason,
however, is supplied by the rea])pearance in .-Vmerica of the name Ditchley,
and if nothing uwre were known of the origin of the Virginian Lees the
fact i)f one of thern calling his house by that name would raise a strong
JB J IV.. Ill
\':),..-ii i'l il
'j .^ 'bfj^:-! I •,.'■)?' .) -jfiJ 1
boofJi'-i ■•
I.EF.S OF I.ANin.EV AND COTON.
37
prestiinjjtion that they were connected with tlie 13uckingham.-5hire faniilv
and even if the connection were a distant one we should probably be able
to find some other evidence ot^ it. But if Colonel Richard was own brother
to Sir Henry Lee of Ditcbley, tuo things at least may be taken for granted.
One is tliat he and his descendants would have continued to bear the
Quarrendon arms ; the other that any son or grandson of his comiu"- to
England would have looked to his uncle or cousin at Ditchley as the repre-
sentative of his family. We shall presently see how far they did this.
Meanwhile we have the fact that one of the American branch undoubtedlv
called his house Ditchley, though it seems doubtful which it was who did so.
Mr. Alexander Brown of Norwood, Nelson Co., Va., F.R.H.S., who has
taken much trouble with regard to the origin of the Virginian Lees, writes
to me: "Philip Lee, grandson of Colonel Richard the emigrant, called
one of his plantations • Lee Langley.' (^iher seats of the Lees were
'Ditchley,' 'Stratford House,' -C^obbs,' 'Paradise,' etc., etc., some of them
evidently named for seats of the Lees in England." Now Langley was
one of the best known seats of the Shropshire tamily, and if this informa-
tion was correct, the argument based on the reappearance of Ditchlev fell
to the ground, the inferences to be drawn from names of places being
evenly balanced. Compared with such evidence as will presently be
mentioned, they are of little value. In answer to further inquiries, Mr.
Brown repeated his statement as to Philip calling his estate Lee Langley,
and gave as his opinion that Ditchley was built by Hancock, youngest son
of Colonel Richard, about 1687. And in a subsequent letter he enclosed
the following, written to himself:
"915 N. Charles Street, Baltimore.
" Dear Sir: — Pardon my delay in replying to your letter in regard to
Lee Langley and Lee Hall. I have just been informed by Mr. Joseph
Packard of Baltimore, a native of Fairfax Co., Va.., that the two Lee seats
are now known as 'Lee Hall' and 'Langley' in Fairfax, and that 'Lee
Coton ' or ' Coton ' is another Lee mansion in Loudoun Co., ^'a., but that
as to their present condition he can give little information, and he refers
you to Mr. Cassius F, Lee of Alexandria.
., ,. . "I am very truly, etc.,
"Wilson Miles Carv."
From the above it seems certain that different members of the family
in America called their places " Ditchley," " Langley," and " Coton," and
it appears from Colonel Richard's will, for a copy of which I have to thank
Ceneral Fitzhugh Lee, that none of these names were given in the testator's
■■, )
V;ij..!;i-i '
•ir:;vi;.
I I
!0
38
THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
lifetiivie. As to any inference which can be drawn from them, the pre-
suinj.ti(jn on either side is counterbalanced by that on the other, and
nothin"^ is left to outweigh the manifest improbability arising from the date
of Lucy Pigott's marriage.
Thirdly, as to the evidence against the Ditchley theory.
In the Xew England Historical and Genealogical Regisfcr for Januar}-,
1890, there is an article -written by Mr. J. H. Lea to which I would refer
anv one interested in this (question. Therein are cited the Inquisition Post
Mortem of Sir Henry Lee, K. G., and the wills of the father, mother, three
brothers, two nephews, and the great-nephew of the supposed Colonel
Richard, not one of whom, though several had to provide for the succession
to and entail of a large estate, ever mentions Richard's name ! The con-
clusion drawn is, of course, that the seventh son of Sir Robert Lee died in
youth. Put further, Mr. Lea has taken a photograph of the monument at
Hardwickc, shov.-ing Sir Robert with his wife and family of eight sons and
six daughters. He says : ''Of the sons, five are bearded men, and three
are smaller and beardless figures, the first five representing Henry, Edward,
Thomas, George, and Robert, who we know attained their majority; while
the latter depict Benedict, Antony, and Richard, who, unnamed in all the
wills, are thus still further proved to have died in infancy or early
youth." N. B. — We know that Benedict, one of the three, would have
been /(v/v at his father's death, having been baptized in 1576. Mr. Lea
justly says that his proofs "speak for themselves, and must be convincing
to anv mind open to conviction." But other evidence against the Ditchley
theory exists. There are in my possession and that of my cousin. Miss
Wingfield, of Market Overton, Rutland, original letters and papers which,
together with other matters to be mentioned presently, prove beyond doubt
tliat Coh'ncl Richard Lee himself claimed descent from the Shropshire
family, and that successive generations of his descendants did the same,
certair.ly till the year 1827, and I believe up to 1S68. The papers I refer
to are, i, a letter written in 1771 by William, son of Thomas Lee of Strat-
ioxd House, and great-grandson of Colonel Richard, to the Rev. Harry
I-ee, Warden of Winchester College, and son of Eldred Lancelot Lee of
Coton Hall; in the possession of Miss Wingfield. 2, a letter from the
same to tlie same, also written in 1771; in the possession of the present
writer. 3, an account of the Virginian branch, written by the same
Williaui Lee. and also in the possession of the present writer. 4, a number
of letiers from Archibald, fourth son. I believe, of Thomas Sim Lee of
Maryland, to Harry Lancelot Lee of Coton Hall and his daughter, all in
the ix)ssession of Miss Wingfield, the last being dated 1S27.
;•/-: TKiJ. / y.:.:
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I.EES OF I.AXGIEY AND rOTOX. ,q
The first letter to the Warden of Winchester begins : "Sir, It gave
me much pleasure to find from a conversation with Mr. Batson, my banker
that we were of the same family. He tells me that you are the second son
of the late Eldred Lancelot Lee of Coton. ... I know your father corre-
sponded with mine, who was one of the King's Privy Council in Viro-inia
.... and I remember when a little boy in ^"irginia to have seen and
read a very sensible letter and well written from your father to mine "living
an accurate genealogical account of our family from so old a date as the
Saxon Government " He also speaks of "Richard Lee my great-
grandfather who went there (to ^'irginia) one hundred and thirty years ago
to this very day;" and asks whether the Earl of Litchfield is of the same
family, as he has the same name. The letter ends,
" I am with Respect, Reverend Sir,
"Your most obedient servant and Kinsman,
"William Lee."
This letter is particularly interesting, as it proves a correspondence on
family matters between tlie Coton family and Colonel Richard's graiidson.
Thomas Lee of Stratford House. How such a correspondence came about
if Thomas Lee's grandfather was brother to Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley is
for any one who holds that theory to explain.
The second letter encloses the account of the Virginian branch, and
refers to a cup at Queen's College, Oxford, given by John Lee, the eldest
son of Colonel Richard. It proceeds: "From further conversation with
Mr. Batson I am inclined to think it must be your brother that corresponded
with my father Thomxs Lee of Stratford in Virginia, since the letter I men-
tioned was wrote about the time of the famous contest in Bridgnorth for a
member of Parliament in the latter days of Sir Robert Walpole." It is
signed,
"Your most olicdient humble servant and Relation,
" William Lee."
The account of the Virginian branch begins. " Richard Lee of a good
family in Shropshire, and whose picture I am told is now at Coton near
Bridgnorth, the seat of Lancelot Lee, Esq.," and deals chietly with the
second son, Richard, and his descendants. In speaking of this Richard
(his own grandfather) the writer sa\s : "He spent almost his v>hole life in
study, and usually wrote his notes in Greek, Hebrew, or Latin . ... so
that he lu-itht-r improved nor diminished his Paternal estate. ^^ That estate
appears from his father's will to have been the plantation Paradise. It has
' ■,,-!•'
< .V
''1 . ■•;,£?<:' i<.' .»;IJ i.-:.
40
THE LEES OF ENGLAND.
been thfnight that this Ricliard was the builder of Ditchley, but it seems
improbable from his grandson's description of him. In any case he could
have only taken the name as he might have done any other, or because he
believed in some connection between the Shropshire and Oxfordshire Lees,
for on hi^ tomb may be seen to this day an inscription declaring his Shrop-
shire o:i"in : *■' Hie conditiir corpus Ricardi Lee armigeri nati in Virginia
fill Ricardi Lee, generosi, et antiqua familia in Merton Regis in coraitatu
Salopicnsi oriundi."
John Lee, the eldest son, was at Queen's College, Oxford, and the cup
referred to in ^^'illiam Lee's letter is still there. It bears the arms of Lee
of LpnL;ley and Coton — viz., a fess chequy between eight billecs — and the
following inscription : " Coll. Regl Oxon. D. D. Johan'is Lee Natus in
Capohowasick Wickaconioco in Virginia America Filius Primogenitus Rich-
ard! Lee (.Jhiliarclix (Jriundi de Morton Regis in Agro Salopiensi, 1658."
That i!ic donor of a cup with the above arms and inscription was nephew to
Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley, living within a ride of that very house, is
incrcdil'le.
Xow let us see what view Colonel Richard himself took of his origin.
In a book by John Gibl.ion, Blue Mantle, dated 16S2, and entitled Intro-
dictio aJ Lai: nam Blasonlain, the following passage occurs at page 156:
" A great part of Anno 1659 till February the year following I lived in Vir-
ginia, being most hospitably entertained by the Honourable Colonel Richard
Lee, ^ome time Secretary of State there; and who after the King's martyr-
dom hired a Dutch, vessel, freighted her b.imself, went to Rrubsels, surrendered
up Sii William liarcklaie's old commission (for the Government of that
Provinct-) and received a ncvv one from his present Majesty (a loyal action
and deserving my commemoration). Neither will I omit his arms, being
Gub a IVs chequy or, i;l. between eight Billets arg., being descended from
tlie Lees of Shro[)shire who sometimes bore eight billets, sometimes ten, and
sonvctimos the Fesse counlercompone (as I have seen by our Office records)."
It is difncult to conceive any reason why Gibbon, an official of the Heralds'
College, should have made the above statement as to the arms borne by
Colonel Richard Lee unless it were true, and the cup at Queen's makes
assurance doubly sure. l?ut there is yet another witness. In the E. D. N.
.\lj)l\.ii)i.-t at the Heralds' College, a collection of arms made about temp.
Chas. II., there ii the following entry: " Salop — Lee — G. a fess chequy Or
and A/. I)ei'.v. S billets .-Vrg. Colonel Ric' Lee Secretary of State in Vir-
ginia .Xnno 1659. Descended fron^ the Leos in Shropshire (who sometimes
bore 8 bdlets, sometimes •10, and sometimes the fess countercompone)."
The K. D. N. .\lphabet is of no authority as to a ri^ht to bear arms, but is
■, -M vr-' > •'
:Uu !.->- v r. ;i;-> "'' :'^^
r.EES OF LANCLEY ASl) COTON. 4I
valuable as being probably the only work in existence which gives an account
of the arms which were then or had been formerly made use of. The entry
establishes the fact that Colonel Richard Lee useJ the arms of the Lees of
Shropshire, but does not settle the question whether his claim to belong to
that family had any foundation.
We have now, therefore, the following facts on which to base our judg-
ment as to whether Richard Lee was brother to Sir Henry Lee, of Ditch-
ley:
1. He claimed to belong to the Lees of Shropshire, as proved by his
bearing the arms of that family.
2. His eldest son did the same, and recorded it at his colle^'e. Date
on cup, 165S.
3. His second son's representatives did the same, as proved by the
inscription on the tombstone (date of death, 1714); and one Grandson
Thomas — corresponded with the head of the family at Coton about 1740.
4. His great-grandson, William, did the same, 1771 ; and another
great-grandson, Richard Henry, is mentioned in Campbell's History of
Virginia as bearing the motto of the Shropshire family.
5. After the death of William Lee in 1795, Archibald Lee kept up
the relationship, staying at Coton and corresponding with the family till
1824; and, finally, within the last few years I have had the pleasure of
meeting one of General Lee's children, who told me that until quite lately
no doubt as to their Shropshire origin had ever existed among the members
of the Virginia branch.
A letter now lies before me from a gentleman who was in America in
1S67, and had some correspondence with General Lee as to his ancestry.
He writes :
" I am afraid I have sent you all I have on the subject of General Lee.
I kncnv tJiat he said lie -i<as descended fro7n the Shropshire Lees."
" Yours sincerely,
"H. Lee Warner."
The italics are mine.
In his paper already referred to, Mr. J. H. Lea has shown good reasons
for holding that the seventh son of Sir Robert Lee of Hulcott died in his
youth, reasons which become the more convincing the more closely the
evidence is examined. If, however, he survived, cut out of the succession,
ignored by all his relations, not even mentioned in the will of father or
mother, considered as one dead, and even represented as such on his
■•,:j
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■i!'v: viiiV;!'.'.
42 THE LEES OK ENGLAND.
father's inoiuinient. then I have shown — ist, the extreme improbability of
his being the man who was going to Virginia with a young family in 1663 ;
and 2d, that Colonel Richard Lee undoubtedly claimed descent from the
Lees of Shropshire, and that successive generations of his descendants have
done the same for two hundred years. His immediate parentage has not
yet been proved'. There are. however, besides collateral branches, nine
persons named in the Shropshire pedigree anyone of whom might in point
of time have been his father. The nine are Walter, Francis, and Edward,
brothers of Sir Humphrey, the first Plaronet ; and Edward, Gilbert, Jasper,
Richard, Ferdinand, and Josiah, brothers of Thomas Lee of Coton. This
Thomas had a son, John, and the will of Gilbert Lee, before referred to,
mentions brothers Richard and Josiah and nephew John. The inference
that the testator was the brother of Thomas Lee of Coton is almost irre-
sistible, though the fact is not al.)solutely proved.
The following memorandum has been sent to me showing a natural
connection between the founders of Virginia and the Shropshire Lees:
"Sir Edmund Plowden, Knt., son of Francis Plowden of Plowden, Salop,
had interests in America about 1632-42. John Eldred (155 2-1 632) of
Great Saxham, was one of the leading founders of Virginia. Member of
His Majesty's Council for the Virginia Company of London 1609-24."
Now Maria Lee, aunt of Sir Humphrey, married Eduard Plowden of Plow-
den, and Thomas Lee of Coton married Dorothy, John Eldred's grand-
daughter in 1649.
I believe that if the seventh son of Sir Robert Lee had been living
when the Inquisitions Post Mortem of his cousin and eldest brother were
taken, his name mu.^t have appeared with those of the other remainder-
men, but in any case it is proved by the evidence of the Heralds' College
and at Oxford, with the account given by Gibbon, that Colonel Richard
Lee was either of the Shropshire family or an impostor. If an impostor,
how could he be of Ditchley ? At the period in question, the two families
were alike in position and rank. Each had received a baronetcy from
James I., and each was of great antiquity, claiming descent from knights
and gentlemen of high position before the ancestors of half the present
peerage had emerged from obscurity. Why should a member of either
family try to pass himself off as belonging to the other? Yet this is the
only hypothesis on which the Ditchley theory can any longer be upheld,
and it is well to state it plainly for acce{)tance or rejection.
In conclusion, I have to thank the present owner of Ditchley for allow-
ing me to quote the following sentence from a letter written to me in
November, 1890, after considering the evidence given above: —
BURNKL OF ACTON Bl'RN'ELL AND LANOI.EV
43
'* I must adip.it that I think you have piuved )our case, and there is
nothing more to be done except to place the whole series of proofs on
record in a com[)act form. Yours very truly,
Harold Dillon."
Whether Colonel Richard I.ee's immediate parentage can be deter-
mined it is as yet impossible to say. At any rate, the inquiry is being
pursued, and the method now adopted is that of fust searching out facts,
and thence drawing conclusions. It is laborious, but in some respects seems
preferable to the converse system, ^^ hich has had a thorough trial.
Note. — The Richard Lee who married Elizabeth Langdon was die third son of Lancelot
Lee of Coton. See the registered pedigree at the Heralds' College, certified in 1623 by
Sir Humphrey Leo of Langley; in 1663 by Thomas Lee of Coton, brother to the above
Richard; and in 1S91 by the present writer. In the pedigree leferred to at the beginning
of this paper the account of the Virgini;in branch is full of errors ; while not only is Col.
Richard Lee's origin assumed without a shadow of proof, but his wife, the mother of all
his children, is stated to have been the above mentioned Elizabeth Langdon. As a matter
of fact his wife's nnme was Anna. Her surname is at present unknown.
BURXEL OF ACTON BURXELL AND LANGLEY.
In view of the intermarriage of the Lees with the Corbet and Burnel
tamilies, the following is of great interest: The Doi/wsJay Book, or simply
Domesday, is an ancient record, containing the survey of all the lands of Eng-
land made in the time of William the Conqueror. It has been considered
the final authority, from which no a[)peal could be taken.
" ' The same Roger.' says Douirsday, * holds Actune, and one Roger
[holds it] of him. Goldric held it [in Sa.von times], and was a free man.
Here iii and a half hides geldable. In demesne is one ox-team ; ii serfs,
one villain, iiii boors, and i radman, with a team and a half. In time of
King Edward [the manor] was worth 30s. [annually] ; afterwards 15s. Now
[it is worth] 20s. One more team might be employed here.' {^Domesday,
to. 255, b. i.)
"The Conqueror took the Sa.xon Goldric's manor from him, and gave
it to the Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, who in turn conferred it on Roger
Fitz Corbet ; accordingly, the seigneury over Actune remained with Fitz-
Corbet's descendants, the barons of Caus.
" It is supposed that Roger, the Domesday tenant of Actune, was the
ancestor of those Burnels, from whom afterwards the manor took its dis-
tinctive title of Acton Burnell. The first Burnel we hear of is \\'illiam
Burnel, who, previously to 11 76, attested one of the Prior of Wenlock's
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44 THE LFF.S OF ENCI-AXP.
Charters. The family then a[)pears as consisting of two distinct branches,
both of whom claimed to have an interest in Acton Ijurnel. Thomas Bur-
nel was the representative of the supposed elder branch : the Burnels of
Acton Burnel and of Langley. Gerin, or Warin, was the representative of
the younger branch. It is with the latter that we have more particularly
to do.
" To Gerin Burnel succeeded Hugh, his son ; after whom came Gerin
Burnel II., who, with. \\'ill!am Corbet and others, at the instigation of Thomas
Corbet, robbed a monk of Buildwas. A list of Thomas Corbet's barony
gives William and this Geryn Burnel as holding one knight's fee in Acton
in 1240. William Burnel, here alluded to, slew two men, for which sen-
tence of outlawry was pronounced against him, afier which the King must
have had his share of .Vcton Burnel for a year and a day, when, in the
ordinary course, it would revert to the suzerain, Thomas Corbet of Cans.
"To Gerin succeeded Roger Burnel, after whom came Robert Burnel,
who, purchasing the fee simple of the whole manor, eventually became
sole lord of Acton Barnell. This extraordinary man enjoyed, in a remark-
able degree, the favour and confidence of Edward I., and was his chief
adviser in all his measures. Early betaking himself to civil and ecclesias-
tical employments, then generally combined, Burnel soon distinguished him-
self. While yet a young man, he was introduced to Prince Edward, who,
pleased at his address, learning, and ability, matle him his chaplain and
private secretary. There is proof, that during the baron's wars, Robert
Burnel was employed by the [)rince. It is uncertain whether or not he
actually attended Edward to the Holy Land; but, on June 18, 1272, Prince
Edward, then at Acre, in Palestine, made a will, in which he appointed
Robert Burnel one of his executors. On .September 21, 1274, King Ed-
ward, now on his father's throne, bestowed the (Jreat Seal on Robert Bur-
nel himself. When appointed to the office of Chancellor of England,
Burnel had reached no higher ecclesiastical dignity than that of Archdea-
con of York. }-'our months afterwards, however, he was raised to the See
of Bath and Wells. He presided at the Parliament which met in May,
1275, and passed 'the Statute of Westminster the First,' the code rather
than Act of Parliament, which has obtained for Edward I. the title of ' the
English Justinian.' ' The chief merit of it.' says Lord Campbell, ' may be
safely ascribed to Lord-Chancellor B',;rnel, who brought it forward in Par-
liament.'
"The advice which Burnel tendered his sovereign intimately connects
him with the con^iuest of Wak-s. After the defeat of Llewellyn, the Chan-
cellor was employed to device measures for the iKicification and future "-ov-
■; U JiM,*
.;' ■.■■■■' ■A
n' )■ :•):!'*-
BURXEL OF ACTON lU'RNELL AND LANCI.EY. 45
ernment of the conquered principality. He held courts of justice at
Bristol, for the southern couniies, and, giving general directions for the
introduction of English institutions among the Welsh, he prepared a code
under which Wales was governed till the reign of Henry VIII. In 1283,
to gratify his faithful minister, King Edward summoned a Parliament, to
meet at Acton Burnel. in the mansion of his favourite. Speaking of the
gable ends shown at Acton Burnell, as those of the barn in which, accord-
ing to tradition, the Commons met, whilst the Lords sat in Burnel's man-
sion, the learned historians of Shrewsbury contend that these did not belong
to a barn. They add : ' We have little doubt that they belonged to a great
hall erected by the munificent prelate for the entertainment of his sovereign ;
and it is in the highest degree probable that the three estates of the realm,
the Lords, spiritual and temporal, and the Commons, sat within its walls.'
*' Here was passed the admirable statute, ' De Mercatoribus,' otherwise
known as the 'Statute of Acton Burnel,' for the recovery of debts; 'Show-
ing,' says Lord Campbell, 'that this subject was as well understood in the
time of Chancellor Burnel as in the time of Chancellor Eldon or Chancellor
Lyndhurst.'
"A patent of January 28, i:;84, allows that, ' Robert, Bishop of Bath
and Wells, our chancellor, may, he or his heirs, strengthen with a wall of
stone and lime, and also embattle their mansion of Acton Burnell.'
" While Burnel continued in office, the improvement of the law rapidly
advanced. Various acts were passed, some of which have since become
celebrated ; for instance, ' the Statute of Mortmain,' and the ' Ordinatio pro
Statu Hibernire ' (17 Ed. I.), for efTectually introducing the English law
into Ireland, and for the protection of the natives from the rapacity and
oppression of the King's officers; 'a statute framed in the spirit of justice
and wisdom,' says Cam])bell, 'which, if steadily enforced, would have saved
Ireland from much suffering and England from much disgrace.'
"Nor was King Edward's favorite a statute-framer only. As head of
the law, Burnel exercised a vigilant superintendence over the administration
of justice, and in the Parliament held at Westminster in 1290, the chancellor
brought forward very serious charges against the judges, for taking bribes
and altering the records, when, with two honorable exceptions, they were
all convicted.
" Lord Chancellor Burnel conducted Edward I.'s claim to the superi-
ority over Scotland, and pronounced the sentence by which the crown of
that country was disposed of to be held under an English liege lord. He
accompanied the martial monarch of England and his powerful army to
Norham, and there addressed the Xorman derived nobility of Scotland in
I' /.
r.. :..,.!/ (
.(>-?:>rvftvhi>
■f.-"'. ; <>)H\
46 THE LF.ES OF ENGLAND.
the French language. The prelates, barons, and knights of Scotland having
mustered on the green sward to the left of the Tweed, opposite Norharn
castle, in pursuance of the leave given them to deliberate in their own
country, Burncl went to tb.eni in his master's name, and asked them
* whether they would say anything that could or ouglu to exclude the King
of England from the right and exercise of the superiority and direct do-
minion over the Kingdom of Scotland, which belonged to him,' etc., to
which the indignant but helpless Scots made no particular objection. l'i)on
this, the chancellor recapitulated all that had been said at the last meeting
relative to Edward's claim ; and, a public notary being present, the right
of deciding the controversy between the several competitors for the crown
of Scotland was entered in form for the King of England. Then Burnel,
beginning with Robert Bruce, lord of Annandale, asked him in the presence
of all the bishops, earls, barons, etc., 'whether, in demanding his right, he
would answer and receive justice from the King of England as superior and
direct lord over the kingdom of Scotland?' Bruce answered, that 'he did
acknowledge the King of England superior and direct lord of the kingdom
of Scotland,' and that he would betbre him, as such, demand, answer, and
receive justice. The same ([uestion being put to all the other competitors,
each and all of them obsequiously replied as Bruce had done.
" Not satisfied, however, with having obtained their verbal assent to
Edward's ambitious })ro{)Osal, the crafty English Chancellor required the
competitors to sign and seal a solemn instrument to the same effect, which
they accordingly did, ' (juickened by hints thrown out that the candidate who
was the most complying v.ould have the best chance of success.' One hun-
dred and four Scottish and English commissioners were now appointed to
take evidence and hear the arguments of all who were interested. They
met at Berwick-upoii -Tweed, and Burnel presided over them. King Ed-
ward, having l)een ol)liged to return south to attend the funeral of his
mother, left Burnel behind to v/atch over the grand controversy. It was
Robert Burnel who gave judgment in favour of Baliol.
"Lord Chancellor P^urnel never returned southward, as he died on
October 25, 1292. Summing up the character of this remarkable man,
Lord Campbell says of him, • As a statesman and a legislator he is worthy
of the highest commendation. He ably seconded the ambitious project of
reducing the whole oi the British Isles to subjection under the crown of
England. With resjject to \\'ales. he succeeded, and Scotland retained her
independence only by the unrivalled gallantry of her poor and scattered
population. His measures, for the im[iro\ement of Ireland were frustrated
by the incurable priJe and prejudices of his countrvmen. But England
i( ■ ' I '
. i. .(
. ^ ' '
1. I '>ftj:
MORETON-CuRBET.
47
continued to enjoy the highest prosperity under the wise laws which he
introduced.'
"The inquisition taken after the decease of Robert Burnel shews that
the deceased prelate had accumulated a vast possession in Shropshire ; nor
had the minutest gains of territory in this, his native, county been beneath
his notice. His tenure of Acton Ikirnell, under Sir Peter Corbet, was by
service of half a knight's fee. Philip Burnel, the Bishop's nephew, was his
heir, who, a spendthrift, among other manors, gave that of Acton Burnell
to certain merchants of Lucca in liquidation of his enormous debts."
(John Corbet Anderson's Shropshire : Its Early History and Antiquities, p.
447, et seq.^
According to the " feodary " 12S4, the bishop of Bath and Wells held
"Langedon," of the king, in capite, for half a knight's fee, doing service
of two foot soldiers in time of war for 40 days at his own cost.
MORETON-CORBET.
*' ' The sameTurold,' says Domesday, ' holds Mortune, and Hunnit, with
his brother [hold the manor] of him. The same [Hunnit and his brother, in
Saxon time] held it, and were freemen. Here i hide geldable. The [arable]
land is for ii ox teams. Here are [ii teams], with v serfs and one boor.
[Eormerly] it was worth los. Now, i6s.'
"Amid the social revolution attendant on the Normaii Conquest of
England, the Saxon Hunnit and his brother lost their estates, sonie of which
were given to their more fortunate countryman, Toret. ' Whatever,' says
an authority [Eyton], ' \\ere the misfortunes of Hunnit and his brother
Uluiet, it is certain that the descendants of their contemporary and compa-
triot, Toret, succeeded to some of tlieir estates, and this also is certain that
a lineal descendant of the said Toret is at this day lord of Moreton-Corbet.
These are terms in which very tew Shropshire estates can be spoken of.'
The lineal descendant alluded to is the present Sir \'incent R. Corbet,
Bart.
" There is a tradition that, once upon a time, the heir of Moreton-
Corbet went to the Holy Land, and was detained in captivity so long, that
he was supposed to be dead, and his younger brother engaged to marry that
he might continue the line. CJn the morning of the marriage, however, a
pilgrim came to the iiouse to partake of tlie hospitalities of that festal occa-
sion, and, after the dinner, he revealed himself to the assembled company
as the long-lost l)rother. , The bridegroom would liave surrendered the
estate, but he declined the offer, desiring only a small portion of the land,
r ■> ■; ;>( 1
4^ ' THE LEE> OF ENCLAND.
which accordingly he received. This pilgrim was the ancestor of the Cor-
bels of Morcton, whose primogeniture is established by their armorial bear-
ings, the single raven. The real progenitor of all the Shropshire Corbets
was Roger Fitz-Corbet, the Domesday baron, mentioned under Caus."
(/^'/V., 431-32.)
Robert Fitz-Corbet, brother of this Roger held, says the Domesday,
Languedune (Langley). His daughter, Alice, married Robert Boterell, of
Cornwall, and through this marriage Langley came into possession of that
family. " Sir William de Boterell, IV., alienated Langden to Robert Burnel,
bishop of Bath and Wells, in exchange for lands in Somersetshire." Roger
Lee, of Coton, married Joanna, heiress of Edward Burnell, of Acton Burnell
and Langley. This Edward Burnell was (according to genealogy given in
the Visitation of Shropshire, in 1623), the son of Sir Nicholas Burnell.
Roger and Robert Fitz-Corbet were sons of a Xorman Corbet who
came to Shropshire from ilie Pays de Caux, in Normandy. The Corbets
were a very ancient and honorable family. They have settled in Spain,
Flanders, and Scotland, as well as in England. The arms of the Shropshire
family bore twenty-two quartet ings.
r '-t
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COL. RICHAHD LEE.
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Colonel Richard Lee.
I. ''Richard Lee, of a good family iii Shropshire (and whose Pictme
I am told is now at Cotton, near Bridgenorth, the seat of Launcolot Lee,
Esqr.), some time in the Reign of Charles the first, went over to the Colony
of Virginia, as Secretary, and one of the King's Privy Council. . . .
He was a man of good Stature, comely visage, an enterprising genius, a
sound head, vigorous sp'irit and generous nature. When he got to Virginia,
which was at that time not much cultivated, he was so pleased with the
Country that he made large settlements there with the servants he had
carried over ; after some years, he returned to England, and gave away all
the lands he had taken up, and settled at his own expense, to those servants
he had fixed on them ; some of whose descendants are now possessed of
very considerable Estates in that Colony. After staying some Time in
England, he returned again to Virginia, with a fresh Ixuid of Adventurers,
all of whom he settled there."
These few lines, written by William Lee in 1771, give the earliest in-
formation (now to be found) of Richard Lee, the progenitor of the Lee
family v.hose history this volume records. From his statement, it is learned
that Richard Lee was dc.-cended from the Coton branch of the Lees of
Shropshire. In the concise sketch of this Shropshire family already given,
it has been shown that Langley and Coton are the two brandies into which
the parent stock divided near the end of the 14th century, when two
members of the family, each named Roger, married two heiresses ; one,
Margaret, sister and heir of Thomas Astley, of Nordley, from .whom are
descended the Lees of x\ordley-Regis and Coton ; the other, Joanna,
daugluer and co-heir of Edward Burnell ot Langley and Acton Burnell,
from whom the Lees of Langley, Lea Hall, and Acton Burnell are de-
scended.
.As the early Color.ial records of Virginia are scant}- and incomplete,
it is now almost impos^ible to substantiate all tlie statements of early writers.
But sufficient data can be t'ound to corroborate many points; much of
William Lee's account of his ancestor can be rearjlly verified. On the
oth.er hand, some of it cannot be proven : that Richard Lee came to
4 49
' L-- .i-r 'Uj
5°
LEE OF VIR(_;lNIA.
Virj^ania as Secretary, and -.nember of the Council, or that he took up, at
first, large tracts of land — cannot now be shown. But these items are of
little importance ; as he did all these things some time during his life, the
actual date of doing them is of no consequence.
As to the portrait of Richard l.ee ever having i)een at Colon, there is
now no record of any such portrait. Mr, William Blackstone Lee has
lately inspected the {portraits that were formerly at Coton. '-'The two
unknown Lee portraits," he writes, "are fine jnclures, said to be by Sir
Peter Lely. Rut I do not think either of them could have been Colonel
Richard. I cannot say positively that the elder of the two (tradiiion says
they are father and son) could not to my mind by any possibility have been
the Colonel, but I should be very much surprised to find that it was."
Whether or no his portrait was ever at Coton, the inference is plain that
William Lee intended his reader to understand that Richard Lee was de-
scended from the Colon branch of the Shrojjshire family. This line of
descent seems well established by the coat oi arms used by the earlier
generations of the Vir-inia familv. Probablv the earliest exami)le is tlie
wood carving, which, tradiiion claims, ornamented for generations tlie front
door of the old " Cobbs Hall" mansion. When, or by whom, it was
placed there is not known ; Ijut, so for as tradition runs, it liad been there
for many generations. At the time the old mansion was torn down, or
perhaps earlier, it \sas given by Mrs. Martha (Leej Harvey to her cousin,
Dr. Charles Lee Hniun. On his death, in 1S55, it passed into the posses-
sion of his broth.er, Judge Edwin Broun, the present owner. The print of
it, given here, was made from a photogiai)h taken in May, 1S94. It will
be observed that part of the ornamentation, on the right side, has been
broken oif and lo.-t ; the sliield was once colored to properly rei.rcsent die
tinctures of the arms. This carving represents an old form of the Lee
arms; the same, in fact, as were registered at the Herald's office at London,
as borne by "Colonel Richard Lee Secretary of Slate in Virginia Anno
1659." The crescent (on the upper right-hand corner) has been very
generally borne by the Coton family to indicate that they were the younger
branch. Its use therefore on tliis carving would seem to indicate two
things: first, that tiie owner was descended from the Lees of Coion ; and
secondly, that this owner was Riciiard Lee, the innnigrant.' This latter
inferei'ice is strengthened by the fact that neither of his eldest sons used the
crescent. Another proof of this Coton descent is that the family in
1 A strict inserprc!aiio:i of thi'> C'^Jt of arms, would signify th.it iti bearer was the eldest ton of the
" lecond house," .in ! that h.\ t.uher was 'Ua<S. Says a writrr on hcruldry; "The first brother of the
second houie bearct'i .< Crr-cent with a l.ii -l d.itn-i; iiis f.ithpr's life only."
COLONEL RICHARD LEE.
51
V'irgiiiia, in the fourth L,eneration, used the arms of Coton, quartered with
Astley, as shown on the frontispiece.
An old tradition has stated that Richard Lee came to Virginia with a
brother; that they settled in York County; that the brother became dis-
satisfied and desired to return home; that both of them gave up the lands
they had settled and returned to England. A part of this tradition seems
to be confirmed by a court record, which slates that a patent was granted to
Roh/Crt Lee for 540 acres in Gloucester County, " beginning at a red oak
by ^Ir. Thornton's path and to a white oak by Colonel Lee's Horse Path
. aad to a branch by the said Robert Lee's plantation; 200 acres thereof
formerly granted to Colonel Richard Lee, on the 17th of May, 1655, and
by him assigned to the said Robert Lee, on the 5th of February, 1657, and
the remaining 340 acres for the transportation of seven persons, <Scc." In
thu list of the vestrymen of old Petsworth Parish, Gloucester County, given
by J^ishop Meade, the name of " Rob't Lee " stands second.^
^Vhether or no Richard Lee was accompanied to Virginia by any
relations of his name is not known. There were many of the name in
Virginia from its earliest settlement ; but what relationship, if any, existed
betv-'cen them cannot now be demonstrated. In 1646, Richard Lee sat on
the York bench, as a magistrate, with a Dr. Henry Lee, who married one
Marah Adkins, and has left descendants. Richard patented i.^^So acres in
York Courity, in 1648, and named, amongst his head rights, Henry, Mat-
thew, and (xeorge Lee. v.ho may have l)een relatives. There was a Mr.
Hugh Lee, Justice for Northumberland in 1655, who patented 100 acres
there in 1650, and 2SS acres in 1654.
That Richard Lee settled first in York County is proven by the grant
of 1,000 acres, dated tlie loth of August, 1642 ; the i>atent states that this
land v\as due " unto the said Richard Lee b}' and lor his own p'sonal Adven-
ture, his wife Ann, and John Francis and by assignment from Mr. Thomas
Hill, Florentine Paine and William Freeman of their right of^ land due for
the transportation of Seaventeene p'sons." The term "head right" was
derived from an ordinance of the •• Virginia Company" of London, by
which every person who permanently settled in the Colony was allowed
50 acres ; the wife and each child were entitled to this allowance. This
patent, therefore, proves that Richard Lee was married in 1642; but had
no children, or thev would have been named amongst his head rights. It
I " Ihe Relict of Robert Lee" married Edward Porteus, the grandfather of Bishop Porteus, who was
also a vestryman of old Petsworth parish. Hi-> rcsidciicc still rem.ains facing the York River, a h'ttlo east
of Poropotank Creek. It may have been built on this 540 acres. Edward Porteus' only son, Robert,
married a daughter of Gov. Edmjud Jeni.-igs. (W. & M. Ouarttrly, III, 38.)
A SECTION OF JEFFERSON'S .MAP OF 1787. ENLARGED.
7 /^. ^,
iooptri ^ \^ Jii"
foJ/T
1^ f^ Court. Hnuit ' iliniNCEt. /4e ^> s' fX .^\> //"^n^r-----.:^
A,.' '.V
<.fS
52 '• I,KE OF Vlk(;l\IA.
also shows that this was his first home in Virginia, as it is stated that part of
the land was due him " for his own p'sonal Adventure." This was the
plantation he called "Paradise" in his will, and bequeathed to his second
son, Richard. This name is frequently applied in subsequent records to
this plantation; as on the 22nd of July, 1674, in a patent issued to "Major
Richard l.ce for 1,140 acres in Gloster, called Paradise, on a branch of
Poropotank Creek ; 1,000 thereof being due to the said Richard Lee by two
former patents, and the residue now found to be within the bounds."
Virginia was originally divided into eight counties; of these, York was
one. Gloucester was taken from York in 1652; all the land patented by
Richard Lee betv.een the years 1642-51, was situated in that part of York
subsequently included in Gloucester. Richard Lee represented York as
Burgess in 1647, and in 1651 " Mr. Lee" wa.-, paid for services as Burgess
from Northumberland. As every Burgess was required to be a " freeholder
in the place whe»-e he is elected from," it is probable that he had settled in
Northumberland at that date.
According to a law of a later date (1705), -'every Burgess coming by
land, shall be j-aid by the county for which he serves, 130 pounds of tobacco
and cask a day, besides the necessary charge of ferriage : And every Bur-
gess that cannot come otherwise than by water, 120 pounds of tobacco and
cask a day, over and above the following allowance for going and return-
ing to and tYom the A.sscmbly, vl/. : . . . For Stafford, Nordnmiberland,
Westmoreland, Northampton, and Accomack, four days for coming and four
for returning."
It seems possible that Richard Lee was engaged in commerce as well
as agriculture, and that he had an interest in vessels trading between Eng-
land and \'ir.L,inia, as had many of tke large planters. In his will, he
bequeathed to his son, Francis, his interest in two ships, which was one-
eighth part in each vessel. He appears to have made freiiuent voyages to
and fro; being in England in 1654-55, again in 1659, and later in'i66i
and 1663.
The eariie.-t settlements in Virginia were made along the banks of the
rivers and navigable creeks; the object being to secure safe anchorage for
vessels. So, Richard Lee's first plantation was on the York River, near
the head of Poroi>otank Creek, where he had a store or warehouse.' His
next honje was located on the Dividing Creeks in Northumberland, '.vhich
afforded a verv safe harbor. The mam creek i^ only a mile or two long ;
then it divi.Ls into brancho, which make the several small peninsula? or
" necks," a> they were- formerly called. On two of these " necks " Richard
Lee located his tao plantation.. The harbor wa. so well chosen that it is
I b.;j
i Sk, : ,. .1
COLONEL RICHARD LKE. 53
used to-day as the landing jlace for steamers from Baltimore. Grants for
these two tracts were made him in 1651 and '56, and were for Soo and 600
acres respectively.
It has been a tradition that Richard Lee was the first white man to
settle in the Nortliern Neck, and that he purchased his lands of the Indians.
As early as 1646, the Assembly levied a tax upon the " inhabitants of Chica-
wane alias Northumberland, being members of this Colony," so it is not
probable that the first part of this tradition is true. As to his buying lands
of the. Indians, it is probable that he gave them presents to secure their
friendship. Rut the following order of the General Court does show that
he must have settled in Northumberland before that country had been
opened for general settlement:
Whereas, order for pattenting the land of the Wiccacomoco Indians' in Northumber-
land County vpon die said Indians deserting the said lands was granted t<3 the honourable
Samuel Matthewes, E5<i., Goveruoui, &c. tlie twenty-seaventh day of November, 1657, and
confirmed by another order of the quarter court, dated the eleaventh of March, 165S, and
that grounded vppon the desire of the said Indians to surrender the same lo his honour. The
Assembly hath thought fitt to r.uifyo the said grants, and do hereby coti.firme the same
Provided that no intrenchment be made vpon any preceding rights of Coll. Richard Lee.
(I, Hening, 515.)
The records of the general land office furnish a list, perhaps incom-
plete, of the various tracts of land taken up by Richard Lee ; in some of
them the official position held by him is stated. These patents, therefore,
help to trace his movements after first settling in Virginia, and furnish, in a
degree, a record of his official positions. They are also interesting as relics
of the times, show the quaint methods then in vogue for describing boun-
daries, give manv of the old forms of spelling, and other interesting data;
therefore they are given in f'dl :
Whereas &c. now Know yee that I the said S'' William Berkeley Kt. doe w"' the con-
sent of the Councell of State doe accordingly give and grant unto Richard I.ee gent his
heirs or assignes for ever one thousand acres of Land situate on the North side of Charles
river Called by the name of the Indian Spri;ig on Poropotancke Creeke anglice vocatur
fresh water Creeke running along the said Creeke . . , and halfe a point Southerly
thence South Hast for altitude . . . hundred and sixtie chains along the marked trees of
Francis Morgan thence for latitude twoe iiundred and five Chaines thence North west one
hundred and twentie Chaines to a . . . running to a little Creeke including the said little
Creeke ... to the great Creeke the said one thousand acres of Land being due unto him
the said Richard Lee by and for his owne p'sonal Adventure his wife Ann and John Francis
' " In Northumberland," says Beverley, "the Wiccomocco [tribe] has but few men living, which yet
keep up their kingdom, and retain their fashion; yet live by themselves, separate from all other Indians,
»nd from the English."
it.ryir
54 LEE OF VIRi-.lNIA.
and by Asiignment from Mr. Tl:u;iias Hill. Florentine Paine and William Fr<-eman of their
right of land due for the Tran^-i>i..:at:on of Seavcutcoiie p'-ons whose names are in the rec-
ords mentioned under this patient to have and to hold ^:c. To bee held \c. Vieldin" and
paying unto Our Souveraigne Lord the King his heirs and Successors for every of the hftie
acres of Land heroin by these [>>'sttits f^ivt-n and gra;ilrd yearly at the feast of St. Micbaeli
the Archangell the fee rent of one Shilling to his Maj'ti-js use which [.ay'ml is to bee made
seaven yeares after the entry of this Claime being the twentieth sixth of Inly 1642 and not be-
fore according io the said Charter of Orders &c. ut in Aliis Given &c. dated the tenth day
of August 1642. Richard Lee Ann Lee Florentine Lainc twice Joane Pickering Thomas
Hackett one hundred and fiftie acres rights of thi.-, pattent (yt is to say) the 3 Hrst assio-nedto
Mr. Dixon.
To all & Whereas and now Know yee yt I the said Richard Kemp Esqr' doe with the
Advice and Consent of the Councill of State Accordingly give grant and Confirme unto
Richard Lee Cent ninety one acres of Land Scituate lyeing and be!n!;{ in the County of
Yorkelyeing upon the Ridge of the New Poquoson towards Yorke beginning at a Certain
Marked white oake in the white mar-;h and runnijig thence west by South Seventy Eio-ht
poles Sideing by the verj Corner uiarkLd tree of Capl. Wormeleys unto a small red oake
and thence South South East two hundred forty four poles unto a small White oake
and thence East North East fifty poles unto a Smrdl White oake, and a P^cick-
ery that stands in the Glade and then pararell to tlic Glade of white marsh unto the
place where it begun w«>' Tract of Land contains Ninety one Acres the sfid Ninety one Acres
of Land being due unto the said 1-iichard Lee by and for the Transportation of two persons
into this Colony who-^e names are in the records menconed under this Parent nine acres re-
mayneing due upon the last name in his Certificate. To have and to hold and to Bee held
&c. Yielding and payeing unto cur Said Sovereign I,ord the King bis heirs and Successors
for every fifty acres of Land herein and by these presents given and granted yearly at the feast
of St. Michaell the .-Vrchangell the fee . . . rent of one Shilling to his Majesties Use, which
payment is to be paide seven yeares after the F^ate and not before &c. D.Ued the Second of
December 16.14.
To all &c now Know yee that I the said Sr Willi.'.m Berkeley Knt. doe accordingly
with ye advice and Consent of the Councell of State give, grant and confirm unto Richard
Lee Gent twehe hundred and iluy acres of Lar.d ScittMle lyeing or being about six or seven
miles up the Narrows in the Charles river alias Yorke or Pomunkey river being a neck of
Land bounded between two branches or Creeke where the foot Company met with the Boats
when they went pomunkey march under ye Comand of Capt. William Claiborne Upon the
South side of the said river Extending itself for Length towards Warranye Town and for
Breadth upon the said river Ijetween the said Gutt or Creeke if it will amount to the
true proportion otherwise to bee made good in Length into the \Noods, the said twelve hun-
dred and fifty acres of Land being d:;e unto him the said Richard Lee by assignment from
William Freeman of his right and title • j the Transportation of twenty five persons into this
Colony whose names are in the records mentioned under tliis Patent. To have and hold
1 Richard Kemp, of " Rich N'eck," c;unu to Virginia in lO 37, .is Secretary ; was long a member of the
Council: during the absence of Berkel.-y, from June, iri44, to Jane. 1643, he was the acting governor ; in
his will (Jated the 4th of Janu.iry, 164.) ; probated at London on the fth of December, 1650), he left 40 S.
to " his beloved friend Richard Lee tO' buy him a ringe, to bee forthwith paid." Ricliard Lee may have
been clerk of the Council 1111 Jcr Kemp ; Keiap was buried at Willi.-imsbiirg.
COLONEL RICHARD LEE.
55
&c.tobe licld 6v:c Yielding and paying untu our said Sovereign Lord the King&c. Dated the
20: of Augu?t 1646.
This patent was surrendered and the names are inserted under a patent
for 1,250 acres granted to Richard Lee the 21st of December 164S ; given
l)clo\v.
To all is:c Wliereas now Know yee yt I the said Sr. William Berkeley Knt. doe with the
advice and Consent of the Councill of State accordingly give and grant unto Richard Lee
Gent, twelve hundred and fifty acres of Land lyeingon the North Side of Vorke River op-
posite to the poplar Neck on the South side of the river being the Land formerly possessed
and belonging to John Bayles and George Knight and for want of an heir Devolved to his
Majesties regent, the said Land being due to the said Richard Lee by and for the Transpor-
tation of twenty and four persons into this colony whose names are in the records mentconed
under this Patent. To have and to hold &c to be held &c Yielding &c which payment is to
be made Seven yeares after ye date hereof and not before i<^- Dated ye 21st of December
164S.
(Head Rights.) \Vm. Crawford, Henry Lee, \Vm. Batchelor, Nich: Merron, Mathew
Lee, John Farror, George ^Yay, Chris: Feathergill, Edward Dicks, \Ym. David, Joane
Peayler, Elizabeth Peds, John Lyne,John Hunt, John Thomas, James Ware, Maryot Martins.
Peter Parclimore, George Light, Era: Newton, Geo. Lee, Tho: Kidd, Henry Kidd, John
Permevter.
To all iS:c Whereas iSic now Know yee that I the said Sr. William Berkeley i?:c give and
grant unto Coll^ Richard Lee Esq!^"^ Secretary of State for this Colony five hundred and
fifty acres of Land Scituate on the North side of Yorke river, three hundred and fifty acres
thereof Bounded towards the head and South East Side of a Creeke which is the we.5t-
ward bounds of another Tract of Land of the said Coll'' Lees beginning at a marked oake
and standing on a Poynt and from thence South East halfe a point Easterly two hundred
and forty poles to a marked white oake on the North Side of a runne into the maine woods
North East halfe a poynt Northerly two hundred and thirty poles North West halfe a poynt
Westerly two hundred and forty poles till it mceteth with a swamp of the said Creeke and
down the snid swaiap and Creeke to the place where it begann and two hundred acres the resi-
due beginning at a marked white oakc .standing on the Westward side of a Runn or branch of a
Creeke Called Bennetts Creeke and Extending West North West to a marked Ash tree Stand-
ing upon tlie Eastward side of a swamp Upon the head of the said Creeke and from thence
North North East one hundred and Sixty poles East South East two hundred poles and
South South west to the first St.xtion where it begann the said Land being due unto the said
Colb' Lee by and for the Transportation of Eleven persons into the Colony &c To have
and to hold &c To be held ^;c Yielding &c which payment is to be made seven yeares
after the first grant &c Seating &c thereof and not before &c. Dated the 24th day of May,
1651.
' To all &c Whereas &c now Know yee that I the said Sr William Berkeley Knight
&c Do with the Consent of the Council of State accordingly give and grant unto
• This patent was recorded al Northumberland Court-houic i6th May, 1711. Following it is recorded
a deed from Richard Lee, of Westraorcl.T.nd, to his brothers, H.incock and Charles Lee, for the Soo acres.
600 weie given to Hancoclc and 200 to Charles. 1 his deed will be fount! in full under Hancock Lee -.
v.4Nf
, 1 ; :.' J
56 LEE OF ViR(;iKIA.
Coll" Richard I.ce Ksq. Secrtn.iry of State fm- thi» Colony Eight hr.ndrerl acres of Land
Scituate in Nortliumerland Cou"ty and uppon the South side of a Creeke Comonly called
the Dividing Creek . . . abuttiiiLj North Ka.-,t ami Xortherly uppon the said Creeke South-
east and Southerly Upon a creek which is-ueth forth of the said Dividing Creek Which
divideth his Land and the Land of Mr, Thomas \\ ilion Marriner, Southwest into the
maine Woods West and Northwest upon a jniall creek whicii divideth this Land and the
Land of Col" Richard Lee. The said Land being due unto the said Col° Richard Lee by
and for the Transportation of Sixteen persons all whose names are in the Records men-
tioned under this I'attent &c To have and To Hold 0?cc To be held of Our Sovereign
Lord the King his Heirs and Successors forever as ui his mannor of East Greenwich in
free and Comoi; Soccage and not in Capite nor by Kniglits Service Yielding and paying
unto our Sovereign Lord the King hi> Heirs and Successors \-c Which payment is: pro-
veded & Given att James Citty under my hand and the Seal of this Colony the 2lst day
of May, 1 65 1.
To all &c Whereas iS:c now Know yee that I ye said Richard Bennet ^ Esq &c
Give and Gr^nt unto Collonel Richani Lee Three hundred acres of Land scituated in ye
County of Gloster upon ye north side of \'orke river founded as followeth viz. abutting
south west and southerly upon \'crke river north west and west north northwest upon ye
land of Mr. Richard Jones dec'd now in possession of ye said Trances Jones ye relict of
ye said Jones, northeast into ye v,o> .(,'s three hundred and t\^'enty po : Last soutlieast and
south east upon the land of Robert Todd. The said land being due unto ye said Coll.
Richard Lee by and for ye Transportation of six jjerscns into this Colony \c To have
and to hold i-Vc Yielding and Laying lVc wch payment is to be made seven yeares after ye
first grant &c sealing thereof and not before I'rovided v,Vc Dated ye 20th .March 1653.
To all I't whereas tVc now Know yee tliat I ye so Richard Bennett Esq. do in ye
name of ye Keepers of ye Liberties of Engl.->.nd \x. Cdve and ( irant unto Coll. Richard
Lee Esq Three hiuidred acres of land --ciluated in ye County o{ Lanca;>ter upon ye south
side of Rappa : river bounded as followetli, vi/t : tVoni a niark'd oake wch standeth upon
ye head of a southern branch of a l.'rcek commonly known by ye name of Matchepungo
Creek wch divideth this bind and ye L\ui] of Dame Eii/abcth Lun-ford formerly Mr.
Sanmel Abl-ot extending along ye lari<l of John Benton dec'd East by North to another
branch o\ ye saii! Matchepungo Creeke ^oiiili and b\ I'.ast into ye woods vest bv south
upon a branch of I'yanketanck north by west upon ye land of Dame Eli/abeth Lunsford
and along her head line to ye jdace where this land first began. Ihe said land being due
i\:c by and for ye Tran-port.uion of .six jicrsons <.^c To have. Yielding &c wch payment ..^"c
Dated ye 14th of November I'J^T, ut in aliis Win Ilabian, Wm. Snapes, Wm. Muns, Theo :
Carey, Ed : Ham[)ton.
NoTF. : The land contained in thi- patent w;is ■^oi 1 by Richard Lee (1st of March, 1656)
to Miles Dixon, merciiant. 'I'here i> a deed from "'Dame Eli/abeth Lunsford" for 50
' Richard I'.f iinett (saui to l.ive been a ycuni;er l;rothsr of Hcr.ry Bennett. Karl of Arlington, one of
the celebr.ited "Cito.x! " teniii. Cl-ar'ri 11 ) was si;^;} .■•nicii one of their conimissioners by the English Par-
li.mienl, in 1651, '• f'~r the reriucinj of Vii^ini.i and .Mar\ lanii to their due obedience to the Commonwealth
of England." Later he or^.«n!/eJ the iioverninent of the C"cIony,and served as Governor froin i6^c-;5.
He WJ.S iuj.ny ycari a menil,er of the Council. wa.< colonial wj^cnt at London, and major-general of tlie
militia. His daughter. A'. nc, tiurtic-d Colonel 'I heodoricV. Blar.d.and his gre.it-granddaughter, Mary
Bland, married {I'tnry Lee. of " Lre Hall," Westmoreland. Governor Bennett died in 1675, and was buried
at Green Point, Md.
.■,.-/,'
o<
COLONEL RICHARD LEE. 57
acres whereon " ve sd Lees .crvanis now are'" to her "loving friend Richard Lee," dated
28 April, 1656, which land was also sold by Lee on same date to same person as above
mentioned land. [Lancaster County RicorJs.)
To all .Vc Whereas Mc now Know yee that I the .aid Edward Diggs Esqr &c give and
grim unto Coll Richard Lee two hundred Acres of Land scituated in the County of Glouster
bounded on the North East ,ide and East with the land of Henry Corbell on the South
Ean with a line of marked trees which divideth this land and the land of William Howard
South and South West upon another tract of the said Coll. Lee's West upon the Dogwood
Sprin-e branch North West and North upon the Land of William Thome. The said land
beincT^'due by and for the Transportacon of four Persons .^c To have and to hold &c Yield-
ing ^id paving &c which payment &c Dated the Seaventeen of May 1655 ut m Alus Lor-
manch O'Mally, Teague Slanny, Richard O'Harrat, Giles Paine.
To all &c Whereas ice now Knowe ye That I the said Edward Diggs Esq doe give and
grant unto Col- Richard Lee six hundred Acres of Land Scituate in Northumberland
County and upon the South side of the Dividing Creek abutting East upon the said Creek
South East soulherh- upon another Parcell of Land belonging to the said Lee divided from
this by a small Creek Called Andrews Creek, South West Westerly upon the Glade and
hicTh land North West northerly upon a run and small Creek Called Freemans Ford. Ihe
satd I and being due unto the said Col- Richard Lee by and for the Transportation of
Twelve Persons into this Colony &c To Have and To Hold &c Yielding and paying cVc
Which payment &c dated the 4th of March 1656.
To all &c whereas .vc now Know ye that I the said Edward Diggs E.q cVc give and grant
unto Col-- Richard Lee Five acres of Land lying in the County of Gloucester towards the
herd of Poropotank Creek wliereon the store of the said Col- Lee standeth and is part of a
Dividend of 700 acres granted unto Peter Knight Merch't bearing date the 25th day of
Au..ust 1652 which is deserted for want Sealing. The said Land being due unto the said
Col- Richard Lee bv and for the TranspoUaiion of one person into this Colony .vc 45 ^^cres
remaining due unto'the .aid Col- Lee To have and to Hold .^e Yielding .V paying .V
W hich payment is to be made .^c Dated the 4th day of June 1656. Morns Fhunmer.
To all .^c Whereas now Know ye that I th.e =aid Edward Digg, E.qr. &c give and
^rant unto William and Hancock Lee sons of Col- Richard Lee Eight hundred and fifty
acres of Land Situate in the County of Gloucester upon the branch of Peanketank Swamp
bounded by marked trees Beginning at a Spanish Oake by the marsh swamp running South
bv East So perches to a Hickory Corner thence south we.st to a Corner tree thence North
West to a Hickory Corner thence North Ea.t to a Hickory by Peanketank thence south
East 183 perches to a White Oak thence to the place where it began. The said land being
due unto the said William and Hancock Lee as followeth Vizt. Five hundred Acres part
thereof bv virtue of the Right of a Patent granted unto John Woodward the attorney of the
said C0I-' Lee bearing date the 17th of May 1655 ^^ relinquished by the said Col- Lee to
m-ike this -ood and Three hundred and Fifty acres the Resi.lue by and for the Transporta-
tion of S^^en persons into this Colony &c To have and to hold &c yielding and paying ^:c
which pajinent is to be made, .vc Dated the 2d of June .656. Roger Sheely, John
Leally Patrick Graham, John Mathorn. David Mahone, Douny Ca^by, Richard Joy, Dur-
mont O'Faine, land due for. • De.-erted by the said Wm. and Hancock Lee and granted to
.. Thoms Brereton bv Patent Dated, the 28th March 1602. Test Era Hickman.
■.■^■. I iV :: . f
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58 LF.E or VIR(;IN[A.
To all &c MOW Know ye thyt I the •^aid Samuel Matthews Esq \c give and grant unto
Col"- Richard Lee One Tliousand Acres of Land Situate upon the south side of Potomack
River Beginning at the mouth of a Small Creek which issueth Out of a Matchoteck River up
the said River dividin<T the said Land tVcm the Land of Mr. Lewis Burwell East southeast 500
poles to Certain Dams being on tht,- h*-ail cjf the said Creek into the Main Woods South South-
west 320 poles and from thence extending West Northwest 500 poles, North Northeast to the
place where it began 3 jo poles. The said Land being due unto him the said Col'-' Richard Lee
by and for the Transportation of Twenty persons into this Colony &c To have and To Hold
iS:c. To be held &c Yielding and paying &c Which payment is to be made seven years
after the first entry of the bounds in the Oliice being the iSth day of October 1650, and not
before dated the lith of October if'SJ.
To all &c whereas &c now Know ye that I the said Samuel Matthews Esq .Sic give and
grant unto Colo Richard Lee Two thousand Acres of Land Scituate upon the South side of
Patomack River Beginning at a mouth of a small Creek which issueth out of Matchoteck
River up the said River dividing this Land from the Land of Mr. Lewis Burwell East south-
east 500 poles to Certain Dams lying (3n the lieail of the said Creek South southwest 64 poles
into the main woods, thence North nortav.-est 50 poles, thence North northeast 640 poles to
the place where it Began. The said Land being due by and for the Transportation of Forty
persons into this Colony To Have Csic yielding ^vc Dated the 5th of June 1658.
1 To all To whom these Presents sh.'ill come I send . . . Whereas &c now Know ye
That I the Sd Sr. William Berkeley ire. . . grant unto Col^^ Richard Lee Esqr. Councillor
of State Four Thousand Acres of Land situate and being in Westmoreland County and
bounded vizt : lO-X) acres part thereof behind the Land of Mr. Roger Isham beg. at a marked
corner tree 320 poles Southwest from I 4 of a mile ben. . . . the Dwelling House of the said
Ishara and runiung Northwc-t from the 500 poles to another Corner Tree thence
Southwest 320 poles marked Red ( >ak thence Southeast 500 poles to a marked
Hickory from thence Northca.^t 320 poles to the place where it first beg.an on acres.
Another part thereof being in Pot.nvmack Freshes on the Northeast of a Creek below
Piscataway, Imt on the opposite side tiie River Potowmacke bounding Southeasterly on the
said River Scuthv.-esterly on a called Hopkins's Creek running Northerly from the
River 640 poles the woods and Northea,-.ter!y from the Creek 250 poles towards the
Surveyed for Henry Vincent vV joc'j acrco the Remainder bou North-
erly on a Creek wliich i-,-ueth out of I'atomack. Piscattaway Divideth this Land from a Tract
of Land of 2cxx) acres appertaining John Wood, Robert Smith and John Eyeres,
Easterly upon iho Kiv;;r, running t'r >:-i tiic Cn-e"'; S>utherly 320 poles and from the River
to the Creek Westerly to>x5 [-.iiles. The said land being due to the said Colo
Richard Lee Es(i. as filloweth Vi.t : Ickxi acres the first part formerly granted unto John
Wo<-)d by Patent dated the I4tli of January and looo acres the second part thereof formerly
granted to Robert Cart — by Patent d.xted the 15th of July 1657 and 2000 acres the Residue
being granted to Robert Clarke by Patent dated the 15th of July 1657 — Land for want of
Seating according to the reservation the par to the said Colo Richard Lee Esqr by
order of the Vjcneral bearing -dated with these presents and is due by and for the
Transportation i.f S p-rscns \c To be Held \c Which payment to be made 7 years after
the date hereof provided vVc Dated the 2''> of November 166-. This Patent was renewed by
' The blinks appearing in this copy ire ^o in the record in Richmond, which w.-is evidently copied
from the origin.il p.itent, not clearly ie^ii !e.
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COLONEL RICHARD LEE.
59
Order of the General Court, uatcu the 26th of March 1063 and granted to tlie said Col" Lee
by Sr. Williani Berkeley. Knight, his Majesties Governor .Vc the said 261)1 of March. Teste
Ira Kirkman.
To all &c whereas &c ncv Know ye That I tlie said Sir William Berkeley Knight
Governor \;c give and grant unto Colo Richard 1-ee I-'sqr Two thousand Six hundred Acres
of Land in the County of Northumberland on the south side of Potomack River bounded as
followeth Viz : Two thousand two hundred acres part thereof, Beginning at the mouth of a
Creek that is^ueth out of Machotick River East southeast up the said Creek and crossing the
Beaver dams Five hundred poles to a marked Pockikory tree that stands on the West side of
Pockatomes field, thence South Southwest Six hundred and forty poles to a marked White
oak that stands upon the head of a swamp thit issueth into the head of Noniiny river, thence
West Northwest Five hundred poles to a marked red — , thence North North East three
hundred and twenty poles to a marked red Oak, thence North Northeast three hundred and
twenty poles to Machotick River, thence East Southea^t one hundred poles to the first
specified place and four hundred acres tlie Residue at the mouth of a small Creek that issueth
out of Machotick River and runneth up Machotick river West Northwest two hundred poles,
thence South southwest three hundred and twenty poles thence East Southeast two hundred
poles to a marked red oak, thence North Northeast to the first specified place. The Land
being due unto the said Colo Richard Lee as followeth, Vizt: Two Thousand Acres part
thereof being formerly granted to him by Patent bearing date the fifth of June one thousand
six hundred and fifty eight, and six lumdred Acres the residue being due by and for the
Transportation of twelve persons <.\:c To have and To hold iS;c To be held ikc Yielding and
Paying &c provided Cs;c Dated the first of December one thousand six hundred and sixty
four.
As shown by these land grants, Richard Lee held many offices in the
Colon}-; having been Jtistice, Ikirgess. meir.ljer of the Council and Secre-
tary of State. He also served on various commissions. In the Egcrton
A/SS. in the British jMuseum, there is a copy of the Virginia Remonstrance
against granting lands in the Northern Xeck to certain lords. It was dated
the 2Sth of March, 1663, and signed by ■'Berkeley, Francis Moryson,
Thomas Ludweli, Sect. Rich.ud Lee, Nathaniel Bacon, Ab : Wood, John
Carter, Edward Carter, Theodore Bland, Thomas Stegge, and Henry Cor-
by n." (Neil, \\x. Caroloriiin, 421).
Hening states that in April, 1663, Governor Berkeley wrote to the
governor of Maryland as follows: "land the Councell here haue Con-
sidered of the means of Redresse [relative to the excessive planting of
tobacco] and authorize the Gentlemen of the Councell, Co" Richard Lee,
Co" Rob: Smith, Co" John Carter, and Mr. Henry Corbin our Commis'^
to communicate our Results to you and appoynted the eleuenth day of
.May next to be the time and the County Courthouse of Northumber-
land the i>lace of Conference." This commission met "at Mr. Aleston's'
* Prob.ibly intended for Allerton ; N'eil gives the pl.icc of meeting " at Major Isaac Allerton's." ( f J.
Carotorum, 305.)
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6o LEE OF VIR(;lNIA.
in Wickacomoccj in Virginia." and aniongsi the names signed on the
2nd of May, 1663, to their rei)ort was that of Richard Lee. (ii, Henino-,
200.)
Richard Lee has always l^een represented as a most ardent royalist and
supporter of the Stuarts ; it has been claimed that he made a voyage to
Holland expressly to visit Charles IL, then in exile. Confirmatory of this
journey, there is extant the testimony of a contemporary who visited
Richard Lee in 1659, and left this record; its author, John Gibbon, was
later an ofricial of the Herald's office at London. Li 16S2 he published a
book entitled, Introductio Ad Lafi/hvn Blasouiam. On page 158 of this
work he wrote : "A great part of Anno 1659, till February the year follow-
ing, I lived in Virginia, being most hospitably entertained by the Honour-
able Collonel Richard Lee, some time Secretary of State there ; and who
after the King's martyrdom hired a Dutch vessel, freighted her himself, went
to Brussels, surrendered up .Sir W illiarn Barcklaie's old commission (for the
Government of that Province) and received a new one from his present
Majesty (a loyal miction and deserving my commemoration)." A copy of
Gibbon's book, now in the possession of William Rlackstone Lee, Esq., has
this additional note, added by Gibbon himself: '♦ The Collonell Lee men-
tioned page 156 of this Booke had a faire estate in Virginia. The product
of his Tobacco amounted to y;2ooo [)er annum. Hee was willing to end
his days in I'jigland and to send over some one to reside as generall In-
spectour and overseer of hi., several plantations. I was reconmiended to
him as a Hit and Trusty i)erson, liaving beene a servant to Thomas, Lord
Coventry, tlie Richest Baron of England .Krc. I accepted Collonell Lee's
proffer— wee arrived in Virginia the last of October 1659 and iibr 2nd
came to the Collonell^ house at Dividing Creekes. Before liee could settle
Things for hi^ final departure and settling in England, wee had newes from
Newe Enghuid of ye Kings Restauration. The Collonell was willing to
hasten to England and I was .is willing as hee, having hopes to get some
employment by means of John. Lord Culpeper, to whom my family had re-
lation by mariage. Hut hee was dead before I reached England. Wee
arrived at Mergate in Kent friday 22 ^L^rch 1660-1. My leaving \'irginia,
I have sorely rei-ented. He made mee j.roffers of mariage and offered mee
1000 acres of land."
In view of ihi,> statement of (;ibbon, the following extract from Eng-
lish records shows Ri( hard Lee in an entirely new light, that of one •• faith-
ful and useful to the interests of the Conmionwealth " of England. But it
is only fair to observe that thi> claim was made for him by a friend in his
absence.
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COLONEL RICHARD LEE.
6i
"The petition of John Jeffreys, of London, Merchant, in behalf of Col. Richard Lee,
of Virginia, to the Lord Protector a...l Ccuncil. Cert.-in plate brought from Virginia to
London by Colonel Lee, about a year and a half ago, to change the fashion, has been seized,
on his return to Virginia, by the searchers at Gravesend : eveiy piece having the Colonel's
coat of arms, and being for his own private use, who did not know but that plate manufac-
tured might be transported to the English plantations. Colonel Lee being faithful and useful
to the interests of the Commonwealth, the petitioner prays, in his absence, for an order to
discharge the plate." Annexed to this petition was an affidavit from " CoL Richard Lee of
Virginia," stating that his trunk had contained 200 ounces of silver plate, all marked with
his coat of arms and intended for his own use, and that it had been seized at Gravesend
aboard the ship Anthony of London ; that he had had the most part of it many years to-
gether in Virginia. (Sainsbury Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, 1 574-1660, p.
430-) •
While in England in 1 663, his wife and children being there also,
probably for the education of the latter, Richard Lee made his will ; the
wording of this will indicates that he had given up his intention of settling
permanently in England. For he ordered that his estate there should be
sold, gave minute directions tor the payment of his debts, and closing up
of his interests in that country, and made arrangements for the settlement
of his children in Virginia. It seems probable that he intended to return
alone, for he requested that (in case of his death) "my good friends will
with all convenient speed cause my wife and children (all except Francis if
he be pleased) to be transported to Virginia and to provide all necessary tor
the voyage."
The account of his property given in this will shows him to have been
possessed of con.siderable wealth— for that day. If his tobacco crop was
actually worth ^2000 a year, as Gibbon estimated, and his estate at Strat-
ford-Langton, ^^Soo a year, a.s stated by William Lee, then Richard Lee
must ha\T enjoyed an income larger than most of the early planters. The
copy of his will, given here, was made by the late Cassius F. Lee, Jr.. from
one in the posses^sion of Mr. Charles Campbell, of Fredericksburg, and is
believed to be accurate :
IX THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I, Colonel Richard Lee, of Virginia, and lately
of Stratford' Langton, in the County of Essex, Esquire, being bound upon a voyage to
Virginia aforesaid, and not knowing how it may please God to dispose of me in so long a
voylge, utterly renouncing, disclaiming, disannulling and revoking all former wills, either
Una work cnxMcd • ' A S„ rt^v of tki -CltUs of Lor-.don ..«./ « Vi/;«/W*r." pubUihcd in 1735. by
Robert Scvmo^r, he stated: - A mile from Stratford-Bow, in the Ro.J into Essex, .s Stratford-Langton
orLangthorn.lyinginthc Par.sh of West-Han., a place m.ich irequented for the country-Houses of
Wealthy Citti/ens, ..r.d the Habitations of such other of them who cannot enjoy their Health in London,
£;c." (Book vi, ^46.)
William Lee, in 177., stated tliat this estate *ras worth about X^-^o or £-900 a year, which %^oulcl seem
to represent .juite a Iari;e property.
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"* LEE OF VIRGIN t A,
scnpt, nuncui..U,ve or parol, and schedules or codicils of wills whatsoever, do make ordair.
and aec arc th. ,ny last Wi,, and Testament in manner and form following, first : I 'iv" an 1
be.iueathmysou tothatgood and gracious God that gave it me and to mv Blestd Re
decmer Je.. Uu-,st, assuredly tru.tin, in and by hi, meritorious death and pas.'i n to
receive savat.on, and my b.>dy to Le dis,,osed of whether by land or sea accord,' g\o the
z:T2Sj:zt'" '-' '''^'''' '^' '' "^ '-' ">• '''' ^-^>- -^ -' ^^^^' ^^^ -
copjho d land and houses be. uuh all convenient speed that may be, sold for the pay-
ment of my nebts to John Je.lries. K.q. and what the sale of that shall fall short of, to be made
good out of my crops in Virginia, to b. consigned to my good friends Mr. Thon>as Griffith
and John Locke; , or one of them in that behalf, and in case the estate of Strntf.rd be not
as speeddy sold a., I de.ire, that then the best improvement possible may be made from year
to year of my sau plantation, and my servants labour with such directions and appointments
Hit ^^"t"^'^''' ^■"" °^'^^' ''' '''' '^^"^^ ^"^ ^°°"- P^>--^ 'f-y debts
and that my nu.nber of servants be .till kept up, and continued out of the labours by the
..-ud Onthth and Lockey, or one of then,, for the better n..n.ging and ejecting thereof
AI.0 my Will and earnest de.ire i> that my good friends will with all convenient speed
cause my wife an<l children (all except bVancis if he be pleased) to be transported to Vir-
g.ma andtoprovKleallnecessarvior the voyage, and from time to time till my estate be
disentangled and irce uf all my debts, to provide and allow for them, and everyone of them
a competent and convenient maintenance according a. the product of the estate will bear'
tTon Til r% t r' ;^^l^^>;-"^ °f-)' '^^^^^^ -Hi the annual supply of my several planta:
t.on,, all of which I absolutely relcr to the said Thomas Cifhth and John Lockev, and after
my debts are paid, I give and be.jueath my e.tate as followeth :
To my wifc,durir.g her life, I give the plantation nlu-reon I now dwell, ten Fnglish
servants, hve negroes, 3 „,en and 2 won.en, 20 sow, and corn proportionable to the servant. •
-he said negroc-^ I give to her during her widowhood and no longer, and then presently to
return to those of the hve youngest children, al.o the plantation Mocke Nock
Item. My wd! and earnest desire is that my household stuff at Stratford be divided
m to taree j,art,. t.-o of which I give to my son John, and bind him to give to every one of
h.s brothers a bed, and the other f.art I give to mv r.-ife Anna Lee
Item. I give all nw plate to n.v three oldest sons, or the survivor or survivors of them,
each to have hi. part delivered to him wi,cn he comes to the a^e of iS rears
Item. I give to n.y son John and hi, heirs forever, when he comes to the age of iS
years, ad my i.nd a„d plantation at Machudck, all the stock of cattle and hogs thereupon
a so 10 negroes, viz., tive n.en and live women, and 10 English servants for their times all'
the corn that shall be found there, all tuo-s, household stuff, and utensils thereupon
Item. 1 o R,cl>ard and hi, heirs forever, when he come to the age aforesaid, I give my
plantation called Paradise, with all my servants thereupon, all my stock of cattle and ho^!
ad worKing tools and ute.,ih, and corn that shall be foun<l thereupon to be for the provision
of the said servant,. ^
ll.m. Tolranci, and hi, heir, loievcr. when he come, to the age af.resai.l, I give the
Paper-maker. Vc. and the W.r apt.ua, Xeck, with five negroes, three men and two
von^n. a^i ,0 ,ngn,h servant,, and the stock of cattle and hogs, corn, and tools and uten-
Mis upon the said several .Necks.
Item I giv. and bequeath t„ the liv. younger children, vi.:. : William, Hancock, Betsev
Anne, and Lnarle,. th. plant.U.on where.., Joh. na,w.dl now lives and so all along includ:
COLONEL RICHARD LEE. 63
ing Bishop's Neck and to the utmost extent of my land towards Brewer's and also 4,000
acres upon Fotomack, also the two plantations before bequeathed to my wife, after her death
to be divided between them or their survivors or survivor of them, also all the rest of my
cattle, hogs, corn, household stutis, tools, or whatsoever is or shall be found upon the said
plantations at the time of my death, all which said estate so beiiueathed to my younger chil-
dren, after my debts are paid, I desire may be employed upon said plantations for a joint
stock to raise portions of the said children against they come of age aforesaid or the females
married. The said servants and what other products of their labours whether money or
whatsoever, to be equally divided between them or their survivors or survivor of them, but
the said land only to be divided between the male children.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my eldest son John, three islands lying in the Bay of
Chesapeake, the great new bed that I brought ove?in'the"Duke of York, and the furniture
thereunto belonging.
Item. My will is that my horses, mares, and colts be eijually divided in two parts, one
whereof to be and belonging to ray three eldest children, and the other to my five youngest,
and shall be sold as they increase toward raising money for their portions, and in case any
ofthe three eldest children die before they come to the age of 18 years, that then his or
tlieir portion come to the survivors or survivor of them, and in case they all die that the
whole personal estate equally to return to the five youngest children, but the land only to the
male ch.ildren, and if the five younger children die before they come to the age aforesaid, or
the females married, then their parts to be divided among the three eldest or survivors or
survivor of them.
Item. My will is that my son William Lee have all that land on the Maryland side,
whereon George English is now seated, when he comes to the age aforesaid ; also my will is
that goods sufficient be set apart for the maintenance of the gangs of each plantation for the
space of two years, and all the rest of my goods to be sold to the best advantage and the
tobacco shipped here to Mr. Lockey and Mr. GriiUth toward the payment of my debts.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Francis, after my debts are paid, my whole
interest in the 3hip called Elizabeth and Mary, being one-eighth part, also one-eighth
part in the ship called The Susan, and in case of the death of Francis, I give the same to
Charles, and in the case of his death to the two girls Elizabeth and Anne.
But in ca^e that by the blessing of God upon the industry and labour of my people upon
the several plantations, my said debts be fully satisfied before the said land at Stratford be
sold, nevertheless I will and entreat my good friends, Mr. Griffith and Mr. Lockey, or one of
them, [that] it may be sold to the most and bc^t advantage, and the produce thereof put out
at interest, and the interest thereof be employed for and towards the better education of John
and Richard, equally, to assist the one in his travels for the attainment of a reasonable per-
fection in the knowledge of Fhysick, the other at the University or the Inn:, of Court which
he shall be most fit for, and the principal money to be equally dividcl between the two
daughters when they come to age or be married, and that the said daughters be utterly de-
barred from all former legacies given to them as aforesaid, but in case of their death then the
sale and produce of said estate at Stratford to be e.]ually divided between my eldest son
John and my youngest son Charle.-,." Also I desire and order tliat my wife, my son John,
and all my overseers, that either all or one, shall from time to time keep a correspondence
with the said Griffith and Lockey, and order all my affairs in Virginia to the best advantage,
as they or one of them sliall direct them, and ship all my tobacco and what else shall be raised
upon the said plantations to tlie said Griffith and Lockey for satisfaction of my debt and
advantage of my children and do yearly give them an account of all horses, mares, negroes.
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64 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
goods, and a!! othor thin^zs according a.s they shall receive directions and instructions from
the said Mr. Tliomas Grift'ith and Mr. I.ockey.
Lastly : For the use aforesaid I make and ordain my ever loving friends, Mr. Thomas
Griffith and Mr. Lockey, merchants, John and Richard Lee, my full and sole Executors of
this my La.<t Will and Testament, Lnt in respect to my son Richard, till he coraeth of age,
I do absohitely pl.ice all m.magement of my will upon the care and trust of first mentioned
executors till my said son, Richard Lee, comes to age as aforesaid, hoping the same friend-
ship to mine after my death which they have always done unto me.
In witness thereof 1 have hereunto set nn- hand and seal this the Sixth day of Febru-
ary, in the iGth year cf the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles II., King of Great Britain,
&c.,&c., and in the year of our Lord, 1663 [1664.]
^This will was probated in London, the next year .•
" 1664-5. Richardus Lee. Januarij. Decimo die probatuin fait Testamentum Richardi
Lee nup de Stratford I.angton in Cora Ls^exiae sed apud Virginia in ptibus transmarinus ar.
defmict hents, &c. ('.irament Thomae Grifu'.h et Johis Lockey duor Execut, &c., quih. &c.
de bene ^:c. Jurat. Re-L-rvata ptate Simiiem Comnem faciend Johi et Richo Lee alt Execut
&C." Johis.
P. C. C. Probate Act Book fo 3.
The exact date of Richard Lee's death is not known. There is ample
evidence to show that he returned to Virginia after executing his will in
London on the 6th of F^ebrnary. 1663-4. The application of his son for
land due his father, deceased, ditcd 20th of April, 1664, proves him to have
died prior to that date. This order states that 4,700 acres were due to
John Lee for the transportation of 94 persons into the Colony bv " his
ffather Coll°. Richard Lee, Esq., whoe is now deceased." His will was
proven at London loth of January, 1664-5 ; his widow remarried, as shown
by this warrant :
24th of Sei-teniber, 1666, a writ v.-as issued by Ira Kirkman, Clerk, to
the Sheriff of Westmoreland Couniy, recjuiring the arrest of Mr. John Lee,
one of the Lx'.rs of tlie Last Will and Testament oi Colonel Richard Lee,
to appear before the Governor and Council on the 3d day of next General
Court, in the tbrenoon, to answer the suit of Edmund Lister, as marry-
ing . . . .AniiC the relict of the said Colonel Lee (I, Fa. Cat. State
Papers, 7).
It also seems to be clearly jjroveii that the later home of Richard Lee
\sas at " Dividing Creeks," in .N'orthumberland county. The testimony of
Gibbon, who vidtfd him there in 1659, and that of his son, Francis Lee,
who stated, in 1677, that lie had been " torrnerly an inhabytant at Dividing
Creeks in Virginia." fully j)ruve this assertion. IJut the time of his re-
> From an article o;> '-I^e of Virginia." hy Mr. J Henry L.e.i, ia AViw En^Und {fist, and Gen.
Kf^i:!er, lan.iarv, i3o?.
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MRS. RICHARD LEE
SECOND GENERATION. 65
moving to Xorchumberlaad is not so certain ; as he was a Ilvirgess from .
that county in 165 i, and patented land there in that year, it seems highly
probable that he settled there about that date.
In 1798 Portia Lee, daughter of William I.ee. wrote that Richard Lee
"died at his seat upon Dividing Creeks in Xorth'd County, where he is
buried and his tombstone is there to be found." This statement is, of
course, only traditional, unless it is to be supposed that she had seen the
tombstone; but it shows, at an)- rate, what the family tradition was at that
date, and had been, probably, ever since the death of the Immigrant. It
has been constantly claimed that this home was the place known in later
years as " Cobbs Hall ;" but there is no direct evidence to substantiate this
claim. The presence of the old carving of his arms over the front door is
about the strongest bit of evidence yet found.
The only information as to the number and relative ages of the
children of Richard and Anna I^e is taken from his will ; the sons art
probably named in the order of their birth ; John and Charles are distinctly
specified as the eldest and youngest sons. In naming his five younger
children, he placed the two daughters between Hancock and Charles, so it
may be fairly taken for granted that they were younger tlian Hancock and
older than Charles. In the wills of olden time it was genendly customary
to name the sons first, whatever may have been tlie relative ages of the sons
and daughters ; but in this case the inference taken seems to lie v.ell justified.
Their issue, then, were as follows;
i, JOHN -, eldest son and heir at-law ; died unmarried.
ii, Richard '\ after death of John, became heir-at-law; from him ate
descended tlie *• Stratford" line, as designated in tliis work.
iii, Francis -, settled in London, died there and left issue.
iv, William •, married ; [-robably left no male issue.
v, Hancock ^ married and left issue; from whom the " Diichley " line
are descended,
vi, Elizabeth ^ no data. ^
vii, Anne ■', married, and j>robably left issue.
viii, Charles ^ married, and left issue; from whom the " ('obbs Hall"
line are descended.
SECOND GENERATION.
Captain John Lee.
John ', the eldest son of Richard and .-Xnna Lee, was born about 1645,
"in Capohowasick Wickacomoco in \'irginia," as he himself stated. It is
5
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66 m:k of vir<;in'ia.
difliciilt, witli our present knowledge of these names, to understand clearly
this descriiitioii of his !)irthplace. The two Indian names seem to refer to
two distinct localities ; on a map' of America, made for James I. in 1610,
" Capoliowasick " is the name given to the peninsula which contains the
present counties of Gloucester and Matthews, and " 'Wighcocomoco " is
the name for the Northern Neck.'' As Richard Lee's first hom.e in Virginia
was situraeti in the '• Capohowasick " region and his later one at Dividing
Creeks was in the " Wickacomoco " country, it would seem probable that
John intended to name boili his birthi)lace and his later home in Vir-
ginia.
John \\as educated at Oxford ; he entered Queen's College, as an
upper commoner, on the .-'d of July, 1658, and graduated an A. B. on the
30th of April, 1662. He must have studied medicine later, for William
Lee stated th.ft "John took his degrees as Dr. of Physic." He was
probably re.uiing medicine at the date of hi:, father's will, for in that will it
was directed that the interest of invested funds "be employed for and
towards th.e better education of John and Richard equally, to assist the one
in his travels lur the attainment of a reasonable perfection in the knowledge
of Physick," etc. No mention is to be lound of John Lee's ever have
practiced his profession in Virginia.
While at Oxford he presented a silver cup to his college, a print of
which is given, with a description of it, by the kind permission of Mr. J.
Henry Lea, of Fairhaven, Mass.
''On a Silver Pint Cup, standing on a foot and weighing 140Z. 3dwt.,
now prcseived in Queen's College, Oxford, is the following inscription —
COLL. REGL OXON.
D. D. Johanis Lee Natus in Caj)Ouowasick
Wickacomoco in Virginia America Filius
Primogenitus Richardi Lee Chiliarcha;
,,' Oriundi de Morton Regis in -Agro Salopiensi. ' •
'V''. '.'':■.-. ::■_...■ &>: 1658.
' Sec Plate CLVIII in the G<t^s:'s of ike I'nited StaCts, p. 45!^, by .\lcxander Brown.
'-According to Leverly, the pariihes in the Northern Neck, about 170;, were:
L^mcasicr, t\io, viz.: Christ an i St Marj'-White-Chapel.
Northuml'<rr!an1, two, vi?.: Kairfield and Pouthray, and Wiccocomoco.
Wcjtmoreland, two. vir.: Copclcy and Washington.
Standford (St.itTord), two, viz : St. Tan! and Overworton
Richmond, one, \-\i .: Noriii^'.irnliam and part ol' another, viz.: Sittenburn.
King Geori;c. one, viz.: H.inover, and other part of Sittenburn.
(i)»r/v/, //.'J.' j/" /'d. irt<>5, Appendix, II.)
i..! -rA/
>;econ'1") generation.
67
"Above are two shields, that to the right bearing the arms of Lee of
Langley and Coton — A fess cheque between eight billets — that to the left
Avith the arms of the College — Three Eagles disp-layed — To the left of the
engraved work a Bishop's Mitre and Pastoral Staff appearing from behind a
book, to the right the end of a staff appearing above a Book crossed by a
pair of Compasses. Most of this detail appears clearly in the illustration
from a photograph obtained by W, B. Lee, Esq., by permission of Rev. J.
R. Magrath, D. D., Provost of the College.'"
John probably returned to Virginia with his father in the spring of
1664; he was certainly in Northumberland in A{^ril of that year, when he
obtained the order from the court for land due his father, then deceased.
He was as certainly seated in Westmoreland in September, 1666, as shown
by the writ already quoted, .\ year later, Captain John Lee was a member
' Copied from artic'.e in Xf^u En^lcnui Hiit.irh-al and Ger.fa'.-'i'Cal Registir, January, 1S92.
: ; Itl . .tO'j'l
i:i)0[
68 LEF, or VIRGINIA.
of the " Comuiittcc of the Association of xVorthuniberland, ^^'estmoreland
and Stafford " C(»unt;es : this committee were for securing the defense of the
Northern Xeck from Indians, and were in seme respects its local governors;
he also was a Durgoss from Westuioreland in 1673.
By the GoYcnnor and Capt. Genn": of N'iiginia, I doe Appoint Mr. John Lee high
Sheriffe of \Vestni'"l"rd County, this next ensucing yeare and to be svvorne the next County
Court in case he Accepts thereof But if Mr, I.ce Be not willing to Accept thereof, then
Mr. Clement Spillnian is hereby Appointed to be high Sheriffe of the said County and bee
Accordingly sworne and alsoe Before his swearing is to be one of the Comicons for the said
County, dated this 2'^th day of March, 1672. (.Signed) William Berkeley.
As an e.xample of old official documents, this commission is perhaps
worth preserving in its entirety:
To all to whom these p'esents shall cume, I .Sr William Berkeley Knt: Govenor and
Cap' : Genn" : of Virginia send Greeting— Whereas for y More due Administracon of Jus-
lice in this Country and the greater ease of y« people and in obtaining the same, his Royal
Ma''<^: King Charles y- first, of ever Blessed memory was pleased by his Instruccons,
directed to )•■ Ilcn^ 'laljle Governor and Councell of .State here to require them to appoint in
place-- Convenient Iriferior Courts of Justice and Comicon''': for ye same. In obedience
thereto Itt was ordered by the Governor and Councell on the 25 of June, 1642, that Corn-
icon''' : should be appointed in every County for ye keeping of Monthly Courts w'-'^'' : hath
been ever since continued and continued by Act of Assembly. And whereas by Act of
Assembly bearing daie the second day of March i66i It was enacted that ye said Courts
should contiime in ev-.;ry County as formerly And that the said Courts should Consist of Eight
of ye must Honest and Juditious psons in ye County, w''' eight or any foure of them, where
Allwaics one to be of ye Quorum, are to be Impowered by Comicon from ye Governor for
the time being to act .\ccording to ye Lawes of England and this Country and to Impower
them severally And out of Court to Act and doe all such things as by the Lawes of England
are to be done by Justice of the peace there and that those psons see Commiconated take ye
oathe of AUeagianst and .Supremacie, And tlie oath of a justice of the peace And that they
be called Justices of \e peace, .\nd whereas by a I^ate order of ye Cienn" : Court, Itt was
thought fitt and ordered for the better dispatch of all buiseness that two psons more Quallyfyed
as aforesaid should be added to every Comicon, Now Know y--' th.^t I Sf William Berkeley
Knt: Ciovernor and Capt. '^enn" : of Virgini.i out of the Conhdence and Experience I have
of the true Loyaltie, abilitie. Justice and Integritie of you 1/ • : Co" : John Washington,
Majr; William I'ierce, Majr: Isaac AUerton, Capt : John Lee, .Mr. John Appleton, Mr.
John Lord, Capt. John Ashton, Capt. Thomas I'liilpott, Mr. William Storke, Mr. Robert
Jadwin, have Assigned, .■\nd for the time Being A[ipointed you and ever)' one of you to be
present Justices of ye i>eace of Westm''!and County, Giving and Granting unto you or any
foure of you, whereof 1,:': Co'': John Washington, Major Wm. Fierce, Major Isaac Allerton,
Capt. John Lee, Mr. lolm Appleton, and .\Ir. lolin Lord to aihvaies one full power and
Auiboritie to heare and tletcrmine all suits and Controversies Between ptie and ptie Accord-
ing to the severall Lawes of thi- Collonie with { osver likewise to you and every one of you
to take deposicons .ind Examin.icons upon oath for the Clearing of the truth According to
Law. And that you be cirefuU for ye Conservacon of the peace and the t^uiett Govern
. . . and safetie of the peop.le, there residing or being. .And that you Keepe or cause to be
OM Mr;
.-:')
SFXOND GENERATION. 69
Kept all ortleri of couit ami pchunacons directed to you or comt-ing to yo'' hands from ye
Governor and Councell and According to ye same and as neare as may be According to ye
Lawes of England and this Country to Inllict jmnishment upon Oflenders and Delinguents
and to Doe and Execute \^hatioever a Justice of the Peace or two or more fusticcs of ve
peace may doe or Execute (such Oti'ences only Excepted) as conoerne taking Away Life or
member, According to the Lawes of England and ibis Country. And further you are hereby
required from time to time to Keepe or Cause ye Clearke of yo"" Court to Keepe Records of
all Judgments and matters of Controversies decided and Agreed upon by you or any foure of
you as aforesaid, And this Comicon to be inforced to all Intents and purposes untill I shall
signylie ye Contrary under my hand and the scale of the Collony. Given under my hand
and his Ma''^'*: seale of the Collonye this 29th day of M;irch, In ye yeare of our Lord 1672.
Signed, etc.
Among the Westmoreland records is an agreement, dated the 30th of
March, 1670, between John Lee, Henry Corbin, Thomas Gerrard, and
Isaac Allerton to buiid a banqueting hall at or near the head of Cherive's
Creek, now called Jackson's, near the lines where their fotir estates cornered.
This deed recites that eatli man or his heirs "shall yearly, according to his
due course, make an honorable treatment, fit to entertain the undertakers
thereof, their men, ma^^ters and friends yearly, and every year thereafter ; to
begin on the 29th of May, 1671. Corbin first, Lee next, Gerrard next,
Allerton next, the year round. Every four years to have a procession to
every mari's land for re-marking and bounding by line-trees or other jiar-
ticular divident or seat in which no course hath been taking by the County
Court of Westmoreland. I'his for the better preservation of that friendship
which ought to be between neighbors, that each man's line, wherever any
one of. us is bounded, one upon another, may be re-ntarked and plainly set
forth by trees," etc.
This banqueting hall did not long remain a centre of colonial hos-
pitality. For Richard Lee (in his will of 1 7 14) mentioned tlie " j)lace
where the Banqueting house had formerly stood." It had evidently been
destroyed by fire. The cabin of a negro family at i)rcsent occupies the
position where it once stood. Xor did any of the four signers of this
agreement long survive its enactment. Gerrard, Lee. and Corbin died a
few years after its signing, and Allerton in 1702.
John Lee died late in the fall of 1673. The last mention of him
occurs in these records: In 1673, Col: John Washington, Capt : John
Lee, William Traverson, \Villiam Moseley. and Roiiert I'everley were ap-
pointed commissioners to arrange the boundary lines between Lancaster and
Northmnberland Counties. The records of Westmoreland show that John
Lee sat as a magistrate as late as the 25th of June, 1673 ; about the same
date he was mentioned, as living, m a deed from his brother-in-law.
.;.ri '^ri i
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70 ;, LEE OK VIRGINIA.
Thomas Youell. On the 19th of 9^^ 1675, the will of '• Thomas Garrard of
Machotecks," &:c., was proven by the oaths of John Waugh, Major Isaac
Allerton, and Caiit: John Lee. Isaac Allerton and John Lee owned a
mill in partnership at Xominy ; under date of the 26th of August, 1674,
Richard Lee sold his share in this mill to Allerton. The deed states
that "Whereas it hath pleased God of late to take ye sd John Lee
unto his mercy, by whose decease the moiety of ye sd two acres of
Land together witli ye mill thereon erected descends unto me Rich :
Lee," &c.
An inventory of John's personal estate was ordered on the 25th of
February, was dated the 2d of March, and filed by Richard Lee, as admin-
istrator, on the 29th of April, 1674. This inventory contains some
. very curious items, and altogether furnishes strong presumptive evidence
that his was the home of a bachelor. The house was evidently a small
one, the hall having been, as customary in those days, furni.shed as a sit-
ting-room. In "ye Hall chamber" were found, beside its usual furni-
ture, ' 16 iron bound shovells, 2 frying pannsj" in "ye parloure roome "
(evidently also used as the dining rQom) were one " grey sute trinmied with
silver Inittons," one pair of "gloves with silver topps," silver plate of 145
ounces " habberdepoize." The books in •' ye studdy " were appraised at
4,000 pounds of tobacco. In "' Capt ; Lee's chamber" were found "one
pistoll, saddle and furniture for a horse,' six quarts of hominy, and six of
"oyle." A storeroom, with ail the multitudinous articles needed on a
large plantation, the blacksmith's shop, the tan-house, and other adjuncts
of farm life, are named. In the "shoemaker's Shopp, William King, 3
years to learn and his tooles," were only valued at 2.000 pounds. while'''the
" Negro boy ffranke and Livery sute " were placed at 4,000.
It may be of some interest to estimate the amount of land owned by
John and later devised by Richard Lee. A fair estimate of the land owned
by the Immigrant would place the acres at about 16,000. John received
4,700 after his father's death ; it is, therefore, probable that Richard inher-
ited about 20,000 acre>.
l!y a comi)arison of several wills and otlier records it appears that the
various old estates contained about the following number ot acres. In the
case of .Stratford, it may be that Thomas Lee added to the original acreage.
Mt. Pleasant. 2.600; Lee Hull, 2,600; Ditchley, 904; Cobb's Hall, 600;
Stratford, 6,500. I'hilip Lee received probably 2.500 to 3.000 acres in Mary-
land, and 4.000 were bequeathed to Richard's daughter, Ann Fitzhugh.
The rest of Ric'uard'. e.-.tate was left in a body, to be divided between his
four sons; the number of acres cannot be estimated.
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I wir • I .»; '."rj
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SF.COND GF.XF.RATION'.
Francis Lee.
71
Francis '■, the third son of Richard and Anna Lee, was probably
born about the year 1648, and, from the data given here, it seems certain
that he returned to England and died there in 1714. Francis was allowed
the option, in his father's will, of remaining in England, if he so desired.
The inference is that he was intended for a mercantile life. It is probable
that he returned with his father to \'lrginia and went back to England, to
establish himself in mercantile life, some years after his father's death.
The Northumberland records contain a certificate from him, dated about
1670, stating that a servant had " served his full tyme to the Estate of Col.
Richard Lee and myself." A " Mr. Francis Lee " was Justice for Northum-
berland in 1673. The Middlesex records give the following information
concerning liim :
Deed from Erasmus Welthers, Merchant, and Frances, hi^ wife, to
•'Francis Lee of Buttolfe Lane, Merchant." Recorded 10 April, 1677.
Deed from -'Francis Lee of Botolphe Lane in London, Cittizen and
formerh' an inhabytant at Dividing Creeke in \'irginia." Recorded — April,
1677.
Power of attorney from '• Francis Lee, Cittizen and Merchant, of St.
Dionis Backchurch, London," to William Churchill, of Middlesex, in Vir-
ginia. Recorded 3d April, 1699.
The following is an alistract of his will (kindly furnished by Mr. Wil-
liam Blackstone Lee, of Seend. Wiltshire, England);
P. P. C. I 7 14, -Ashton 224. Will dated 9 July, 1709 ; probated, Lon-
don, 23 November, 1714. ffrancis Lee, of London, Merchant. I doe de-
clare my sons Richard and Thomas Lee and niy daughter Anne, wife of
Henry Watson, to be fully advanced. Yet nevertheless I doe give unto
them 5_;^ a j-iece for mourning. L'nto m)- Plonoured ffriends Sir Jeffer\-
Jefferies, Knight, and John JetTeries, Esqr., Rings. Unto my Nephew Rich-
ard Lee, Merchant, and my ftViend Mr. Hanbury Walthall, of London,
Haberdasher, Mourning. The Residue to my youngest son. Arthur Lee,
his Executors. Administrators, and Assigns, at twenty one years. The said
Richard Lee and John Hanbury \\''althall to be Executors in trust for said
Arthur. They shall during his Minority Loan out the Moneys not ex-
pended in his Education and Maintenance for the increase of his ffortune.
To my eldest Brother Richard Lee, Mourning. Witness. Edwd. Gilbert,
Ser. , Tho. Reason, Wni. Hodgdin.
23 Nov. I 714. Kmanavit Connnissio .Vrthuro Lee filio et Legatario
Residuario ffrancisci Lee nuper Sancti Dionysii Backchurch, London, Mer-
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72 LF.E OF VIRGINIA.
catorio defuncti justa tenorem Tcstamcnti (eo quod Ricliardus Lee et Han-
bury Walthall Executors oneri reiuuitiaverint. )
The register of St. Dionis IJackchurch has the following entries :
Abigail, daughter of Mr. Francis and Tamar Lee, Merchant, born and
baptised, 9 July, 1694. John, son of Mr. Francis Lee, Merchant, buried in ye
Great Vault, 9 June, 1694. Mrs. Tamar Lee, wife of Mr. Francis Lee, Mer-
chant, buried in ye Great Vault, i May, 1694-5. Tamar, daughter of Mr.
Francis Lee, Merchant, buried in Ye Great Vault, 18 January, 1 699-1 700.
Mr. Francis Lee, Merchant, buried in Ye Great Y'ault in the Chancel, 19
Nov. 1 714.
Captain William I,ee. v o^ri
William '\ the fourth son of Richard and Anna Lee, was born about
165 I ; was named in his father's will as one of the "five younger children,"
and the fast of them mentioned. Ihider date of the 35th of February,
1673-4, "Mr. Wm. Lee, aged about twenty yeares," made a deposition
that " Mr. Rich: Cole did according to my apprehension of his words freely
consent and agree to runn w'^-Jno: W"* ^ of Ragged Poynt in my Bro""'-
pasture ye Raue w='"-by agreem' betwene ye sd Cole and Williams was to
have bin on Machoatic Roade." Under date of "Aug"- ye 26th 1674,"
Richard Lee wrote •' bro : W'": " a letter requesting him to acknowledge a
deed for him, vS:c., therefore William must have been over 21 at that date.
He was living as late as June, 1681, as mentioned by William Fitzhugh ;
from the records of Northumberland it is learned that Bartholomew
Schrcver and Mary, his wife, the executrix of Capt. William Lee, deceased,
executed a deed on the i6th of February, 1697 ; in the same year Schrever
made payments on the estate of William Lee. Fie died, therefore, prior to
February, 1697-S. This Mary Schrever, his executrix, was either his
widow or his daughter; probably the latter. In either case it may be in-
ferred that he left no male heirs. Indeed, the following abstract is proof
of this interence :
In an application for land Richard Lee stated that " George Col-
clough, Gent., owned the tract of land called Bishop's Neck by a patent of
3d of April, 165 I, and died without will or heirs when the land escheated ;
that Richard Lee, deceased, father of the said Richard Lee, had died seized
of the land (and was presumed to have had a title, though evidence does
not remain), and by his will of the otli February, 1663, gave this land to
his son Williani Lee. but without any words of inheritance,' who held the
' Evidently refers to decisions of the English courts, that unless there were words of perpetuity added
to 3l devise of land, the devisee would" only have an est.ite fjr life, .ind that the fee would descend to the
heir-at-law.
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SECOND GF.NF.RA'HON.
73
land until his deaih, and that i'aitholomcw Schrevcr, o( Xorlhuaibeiiand
County, now holds the land under a devise ot" the said William Lee, who
clearly had a title only for lite ; and that the land is now due to the said
Richard Lee, the younger, as heir-at-law of his father, Richard Lee, de-
ceased."
To William Lee was devised by his father's will " all that land on the
Maryland side whereon George English is now seated." The tract, called
" Bishop's Xeck," was a part of the general bequest to the three younger sons,
and was situated at Dividing Creeks. The records of Northumberland show
that William Lee was a Burgess in 16S0-93, and a Justice in 1690.
Bishop Meade has mentioned a tankard, "The gift of Bartholomew
Shriver, who died in 1720, and of Bartholomew, his son, who died in 1727,
for the use of the parish of Great Wycomico, in the county of Northum-
berland, 1728." — {0/</ Ciiurchcs, Families, c^v., //. /J-/.)
The will of Bartholomew Schrever (dated the 21st of March, 1720),
mentioned his wife Mary and son Bartholomew ; left "' 5 /^ to Wicomico
Church, to be used towards buying Communion plate;" also \0j[^ to buy
" tenn " mourning rings; for Mr. Richard Lee, Mr. Charles Lee and v/ife,
Mr. Thomas Waddy and wife, Mr. Thomas Heath and wife, for " sister
Bol," and for Sam'l Heath and wife. Residue of his estate to his son.
Bartholomew Schrever, Jr. (will dated 14 December, i 727 ; probated
in April, 172S), gave 25^" to Mary Heath, daughter of his brother Sam'l
Heath, to be paid when 16, or at marriage, whichever should first happen ; to
Eli; t\\\, daughter of his dec'd brother, Thomas Heath, also 257? on same
terms; To Wicomico Church, _^5 to be added to the ^'5 already given by
his tather ; 50 acres of land to his brother, Sam'l Heath. Residue of
estate to the lawful male issue of his daughter, I^lizabeth. In default of
such issue, the estate to pass to brother, Sam'l Lleath. who was appointed
sole executor. (North'd County Records.)
Elizabeth - and Anne '\ Of the two daughters of Col. Richard Lee,
there are only data concerning one, Anne. *' Thomas Youell of Nominy in
Ye County of Westmoreland and Anne Youell, wife of Ye s'^ Thomas, one of
ye daughters of Coll: Rich'^ Lee late of Stratford Langthorn in Ye Co: of
Essex deceased," executed a deed of release unto "John Lee of Lower
^L^chotocks in Ye Comity of Westmoreland son and heir ajjparent and one
of Ye Exe's of Ye afr^'': Rich"^: Lee deceased" in which they relinquished
all claim to any share in the estate of Col. Richard Lee. Dated 23d June,
1673. The will of " Cai^ain Thomas Youell of the parish of Cople,
^^'estmoreland, Gentleman," named wife Anne, daughter Winifred English
' 'lod^^-i
'.I , V. ':.'.''.i''n
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(.'A
74 IKE OF VIRGIN' I A.
and her s'mi Vouell Kni;lish, daughter \Vatts and her son Youell Watts,
daughter Spence and lier son Youell Spence. Dated 7tli December, 1694;
probated, Westmoreland, 29th May, 1695.
Having given all the data to be found concerning those children of
Colonel Richard Lee, who did not apparently leave any male issue in
America, the three sons, uho have been proven to have left male issue, will
be taken up seriatim. As each of these three sons has left a distinct male
line, they will be sketched separately; thus avoiding confusion where simi-
lar names occur so frequently in each line. These three lines are called :
i, The Stratford. Including the descendants of Richard and Ljetitia
(Corbin) Lee, wh.ich embraces the Lees of Westmoreland, Stafford,
Prince William, Loudoun, etc., in Virginia^ and those of Maryland.
ii, The Ditchley. Ein])racing all the descendants of Hancock Lee.
iii, The Cobbs Hall. Embracing the descendants of Charles Lee.
STRATFORD LIN?:, SF.COND GENERATION.
Colonel Richard Lee.
2. Richard ^ the second son of Richard and Anna Lee, was the eldest
son to leave male issue in A'irgiiiia ; he was born in 1647, most probably at
" Paradise," in Gloucester County, and died on the 12th of March, 1714,
at his home, " Mt. Pleasant," in ^VestmoreIand. As mentioned previously,
this estate, consisting of about 2,600 acres, had been bequeathed by the
Immigrant to his eldest >on. John, and N\as inherited by Richard as heir-at-
law to their father.
An old rnanuM ripl has stated that " the eldest of the two sons [of the
Innnigraiu] afterwards removed to Westmoreland and established himself at
' Mt. Pleasant' on th.e River Potomac. The large brick house, largely
inclosed by a brick wall, was burned down and another was built on the
surrounding heights of tlie Potomac." The date of this fire is not known,
but it mu.st have occurred between 1716 and 1730. Thomas Lee obtained
a lease of this estate in 17 16, and ap[.arently lived there until he built the
Stratford mansion. It seems likely that the loss by fire, mentioned by Wil-
liam Lee, occurred at " Mt. Pleasant." not at Stratford, as has been gener-
ally supposed. Tiiere is no record of a' fire ever having occurred at the
latter place ; while frequent mention hxs been made " of the burnt house
fields," at the foruier, evidently siiownig that the fire there had been so
serious that the field had been named as a record of the disaster. The new
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STKATfORD LINK, SECOND GF.NKRA IION. 75
ho'ise, built further back from the river and uiJuii higher ground, was
probably erected by George Lee when he came from England to settle in
Virginia. It, too, has been burned. The present proprietor of " Mt.
Pleasant" b.as built a very handsome mansion, not far from the old "Lee
Hall," in all respects a complete and elegant house, with the most modern
improvements. It is a pleasure to see an old estate, now past its two hun-
dredth year, so well kept up, and still the seat of good old Virginia hos-
]>itality.
Richard Lee was educated at Oxford, and may have studied law at one
of the London '-Inns," but of this nothing i.-^ known. "He was so
clever," said his grandson, "that some great men offered to promote him
to the highest digniiies in the Church if his Father would let him stay in
England; but thi> offer was refused, as the old Gentleman was determined
to fix all his cliildren iri Virginia. . . . Richard spent almost his whole life
in study, and usually wrote his notes in Greek, Hebrew, or Latin . . . ;
so that he neither diminished nor improved his paternal estate. . . . He
was of the Council in Virginia and also other offices of honor and profit,
though they yielded little to him."
A complete record of Richard's official positions is not obtainable, but
sufficient dat.a have been found to make it highly probable that he held
imjiortant posts almost continuously from about 1675 to his death. He was
certainly a member of the Council in 1676, 16S0-S3-8S, 1692-9S, and
there does not appear to be any reason against the supposition that he was
a member at later dates. ^ He was a Burgess in 1677, and probably earlier.
In a list of officers, dated on the Sth of June, 1699, it was stated that
" Richard Lee, Ksqr., had been appointed by Sir Edm : Andros, Governor,
iS,:c., to be xVaval Oft'icer and Receiver of Mrginia l.)utys for the River
rotomac, in which is included U'estmorelaiid, Northumberland, and
Stafford Counties." In 16S0 mention was made of "Coll: Richard Lee,
of the Horse in ye Counties of Westmoreland, Northuinl^erland, and
Stafford."
In a letter, dated the loth of June, 1691, Governor Nicholson reported
to the English government that Richard Lee, Isaac Allerton, and John
Arnn'stead, out of a scruple of conscience, had refused to take the oaths
and had in consequence been dropped from the Council (Sainsbury's Ah-
strac/s). This scru[>le of conscience arose from their attachment to the
Stuarts, and was a refusal to acknowledge the claim of \\'illiam and Mary
to the throne of England. Richard Lee apparently changed his mind, for
he was soon after restored 'to his place in the Council.
'II lienin^, 5''3, l<'-<)\ III Hening. 557, I ia Cal. Siate Pafifrs, 31, 85.
76 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Naihaiiiel Bacon, jr.. " ih-,- first \'irginia rebel," as he has been called,
issued a lengthy proclamation, in the name of "ye People, "giving a list ot'
grievances of "ye Commonality" against Governor Berkeley and his
faction. The proclamation concludes in these words: "And we doe
further declare these ye ensueing p'sons in this list to haue beene his wicked
and pernicious councell" Confederates, aiders and assisters ag' ye Common-
ality in these our Civill coniotions." Then follows a list of some sixteen
prominent men, among them Philip Ludwell, John Page. Christopher
Wormeley, Robert Ueveriey, Richard Lee, and others of like standing ; all
of whom were ordered to surrender themselves or be seized as " Trayters to
ye King and Country" (Xeil, Fa. Carolorum, 365),
In a report to the English government (under date of the 15th of
March, 1677-8) of those who had suffered by Bacon's rebellion, this v^- as
given : " Major Richard Lee, a Loyall Discreet Person worthy of the Place
to which hee was lately advanced of being one of his Majesties Council in
Virginia, and as to his loses wee are credibly informed the\' were verv great
and that hee was Imprisoned by Bacon above seaven weekes together at
least 100 miles from his owne homo whereby hee received great Prejudice
in his health by hard usage and very greatly in his whole Estate bv his
absence."
In a letter to the justices of the Westmoreland Court, recorded on the
15th of .-Vugust, 1677, he mentions his imprisonment and laments his poor
health. "About this time twelve month, some three or four days before I
was taken prisoner," and adds that he had not been " soe well in health as
I could wish."
Beverley, the historian, mentions that " Col. Richard Lee, one of the
Council, a Man of Note and an Inhabitant of the Xorthern Xeck, privately
made a Composition with the Proprietors [of the Northern Neck] for his
own Land. This broke the Ice and several were induced to follow so great
an Example " (^History of I'itxiju'a, London, 1722, p. 84).
Patents for land in Virginia, were at first granted by the governor as
representative of the Crown ; later, when parts of Virginia had been given
to certain Lords, favorites of the King, the settlers were rcijuired to pay the
fees formerly due the Crown to the agents of these Proprietors. These
grants to Proprietors caused much dissatisfaction in Virginia ; it is this that
Beverley refers to in the above (Quotation. By marriage with a daughter of
Lord Cul['eper, the prop»rietorship of the Northern Neck ]ia.-sed into the
possession of Thomas, 6th, Lord Fairfax.
Governor .Spotswood described Richard Lee. as "a gentleman of as
fair character as any in the country for his exact justice, honesty and unex-
•1 I '•
' .• 1,' V, 1
M./. .1 , ■. . : [ n ,. '■;. t I.. ■,■
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.1 ^./i n-.vi.
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STRATFORD LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 77
ccptional loyalty. In all the stations wherein he has .served in this govern-
ment, he has behaved himself with great integrity and sufficiency ; and when
his advanced age would no longer permit him to execute to his own satis-
faction the duty of Naval Officer of the same district, I thought I could not
better reward his merit than by bestowing that employment on his son."
(i Spotsivood, 17S.)
Richard Lee married (it is said in 1674). I>aUitia. the elde.t daughter
of Henry Corbin, and Alice Eltonhead, his wife ; Lxnitia was born in 1657,
and died on the 6th of October, 1706. Their tombstone is still to be seen
at "Mt. Pleasant;" it is a very large slab of hard white marble. The
inscription has been almost effaced, which is not to be wondered at, as it
has been exposed to the weather for almost one hundred and eighty years.
It rested on a knv brick foundation, which has partially fallen. The wall,
which once surrounded this graveyard, can now be traced by removing a
little earth; it enclosed a lot of about 20x25 feet, and was located some
three hundred yards in the rear of the first mansion. Some bricks, scattered
about, indicate where the old house once stood, and some remains of an old
orchard are to be found.
Bishop Meade visited this spot many years ago, and wrote of it : '
" From a tombstone in the Burnt House Fields, at Mount Pleasant, West-
moreland county, where are yet to be seen the foundations of large build-
ings, are the following:"
Hie conditur corpus Richardi Lee, Armigeri, nati in Virginia, filii Richard! Lee, gene-
robi, et antiqua familia, in Merton-ReKis, in comitatu Salopiensi, oriundi.
In magistratum obeundo boni publici studio^^issimi, in Uteris Gnccis el Lalir.is et alns
hunianioris literatiir.e diiciplinis versatissinii.
Deo, quern, summa obser%-antia semper co'.uit, animam tranquillui reddidit XIL mo. die
Martii, anno MDCCXIV, xtat LXVIIL
Hicjuxta.situm est corpus Latiti.>- ejuidem uxoris hd.c, f.li.e Ilenrici Corbyn. genero.i,
libcrorum m.atris am.-intissim.c, pietate erga Deum, charitate erga egenos, bcnigmtate erga
omnes insignis. Obiit Octob. die vi, MUCCVR ivtatis XLIX.
"Translated, it reads:
" Here lietlithe l^dvof Richard Lee, Esq., born in Virginia. =on of Richard Lee.Gent'e-
man, descended of an ancient family of MertonRegi., in Shropshire. Wliile lie exercsed
the office of magistrate he %vas a zealous promoter ot the public good. He uas very skdlful
in the Greek and Latin languages and other parts of polite learning. He qmetly resigned
his soul to God, whom he always devoutly worshiped, on the 12th day of March, m the
year 1714, in the 6J>th year of his age.
1 Oid Churchfs, Fainiliis, f'.c, !1, 15:
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78 IFF, OF VIRC.IXIA.
" Near by is interred t!ie lx_>dy of L^ititia, his faithful wife, dauc;hi.er of Henry Corbyn,
Gentleman. A most affectionate mother, she was also distinguished by piety toward God,
charity to the poor, and kindness to all. She died on the 6th day of OcLol>er, 1706, in th.e
49th year of her age." '
This biirying Lcround wa.s cerlainly used for several genoraiions as tlie
family burying place. Thomas Lee in 1749, Arthur Lee in 1793, and
Richard Henry Lee in 1794, all desired to be buried there. .\t present
only the one tombstone is to be seen ; but Mrs. Charles Calvert Stuart,
who visited the spot many years ago, has stated tliat she looked over the
brick wall and that the lot was then full of graves.
In the inscrijition on the silver cup which he presented to his college,
John Lee stated that his faniil\- came originally from "Morton-Regis," in
Shropshire. On Richard's tonibstone, as ju^t quoted, this place was spelt,
" Merton-Regis." It is certainly reasonable to assume that both brothers
referred to the same place. I'ut what place? There has been considerable
speculation on this point. Mr. J. Henry Lea, alread}' so frequently quoted,
thinks " Nordley-Regis," an old seat of the (^"oton branch, was the ])lace
referred to. Tliis view is sup])orted by the fact that Eyton, in his history
of Shropshire, suggests the i)ossibility of ••the vill of Morton " having
been intended for Nordley. In one of the Harleian MSS. Nordley is
called " Mordlev."
On the other hand, others, among them Mr. Geofge William Montague,
think " Merriton," as given on Camden's map of 1695, was the place.
Mr. Montague quotes Camden : "At Langley in Shropshire, one mile from
the castle of Acton-Burnel, lowly situated in a woody park, is the seat of
the Lees, one of the most ancient and honoral)le families in these parts."
],angley was south ot the city of Shrewsbury, near Condover. Within the
himdred of Shrc^vsbury, arid a few miles noith o\ the city, was the village
of Merton, s[)elled Merriton on Camden's map of 1695. Near this village
was an ancient --^eat of the Lee.-., named Lea H.dl. As to tl;e various
spellings, Mr. Montague says: " Iloth were correct at the time. The mode
of spelling wa.s a matter of no significance provided the initial letter of the
word remained imchanged "
It is worthy of notice that John located his later home in \'irginia by
naming the nearest jiarish church " Wickacomoco."
Richard L-'e's will, dated 3d of March, 1714; probated, W'estniore-
land, 27th of April, 17 15, was as follows:
' NoTB. Deposilions, con'.eriiin;; the r.unc\ipative will of C:);'!.uri ffcnrj' Creyk, who died .it Col.
Richard Lee's on the Potonur, w^re ma !r on the (th of Sept , t'-<^. by l.ettice Lee. ;it;-"d ro years, and
Matilda Lee, agej ;o yr.us Lettc* was iini'.oiibtedty K ichard Lec'^ wife ; but who was MatiMa Lee ,'
.-, ■•n 1 :- .;\f
:'.-••, : ! . ■ ■J'Tfltf I
MRS. rUCHARD LEU.
STRATFORD LINE, .sECOXU GENERATION'. 79
In the name of God Amen. I Richard Lee of Cople parish' in the County of West-
moreland & Colony of V'irginia being weak of body but of sound & perfect sencc & memory
(blessed be God for it) doe make & ordaine &. declare this to be my last Will & Testament
in manner & form following hereby revoking iS: making void all former Wills & Testaments
by me made dated in Virginia this third day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand
seven hundred and fourteen, and in the first year of the reign of our Soveraign Lord King
George over Great Britaine &c. Imprimis I bequeath my Soul unto God thai gave it me
hoping by his infinite mercy ^; by niy dear Saviour Jesus Christ his intercession & the merits
of his passion it shall at the last day be reunited to my body and glorified and I will that
my body have Christian i decent burial in my garden by or near the body of my dear wife
deceased. Item I will that all my just debts be truly paid tV as for my goods with which it
hath pleased my good God to bless me beyond any desert of mine I give & bequeath them
together with my lands as follows (vig'.) Item I give to my eldest son Richard & bis heirs
forever 2600 acres of land in Cople parish in Westmoreland being the land whereon I now
live & to include my next quarter with all the low land and bounded as follows : Beginning
at my landing upon a branch of Machotique river near the mouth of a creek which makes
the head of the sd. branch, being the beginning of a patent for 1000 acres of land granted
to my honoured father dec'd. in the year 1650 and from my said landing extending up the
sd. creek or head of the Eastermost branch of the Machotique river which divides this land
from the land of Col. Willoughby Allerton reduced to a strait line East South East 500 poles
to the West side of Peccatoncs held to a locust post which stands by or nigh the place
where the Banquetting house fonnerly stood and from hence South South West 640 poles
thence the same cours 16 poles to the corner thence East South East 80 poles thence South
by East 120 poles to the road that leads to Flints mill or very near it thence South five
degrees East SS poles to a stone which lies in the sd. road from thence West South West to
a marked hickory tree (being a corner tree dividing this land from some land I doe by this
Will give to ray son Henry) from the aforementioned stone 162 poles & from thence along
the sd. dividing line North 18 degrees West 410 poles from thence North North East 162
poles to a locust post standing to the northward of the main road which this line has crossed
40 jxiles thence West North West to the cross roads at the white oak thence along the ror.d
leading to my house North 41 degrees East 40 poles thence North 16 degrees East 30 poles
and North 19 degrees East 36 poles thence West North West 30 poles to a branch & down
it to a locust post & thence West 14 poles to another locust post, being the beginning of the
aforementioned dividing line between my two sons Richard e^: Henry, and from thence West
North West 300 poles to a corner lic thence North North East to Machotique river lV thence
down that river to the first mentioned Eastennost branch On: up that to the beginning at my
landing. Item I give to my son Phillip Lee & to his heirs forever all my right title & claim
to a tract of land at Cedar point in Maryland called Lee's purchase late in the possession of
Phillip Lynes and for which I have been at law some time but in case neither I in my life
time nor my son Phillip afterwards doe recover the possession of the sd. tract of land then
& in such case only my will is that my son> Richard Francis Thomas & Henry doe pay to
my sd. son Phillip one hundred and thirty pounds that is to say my son Richard thirty
jxiunds my son Francis thirty [xjunds my jon Thomas forty pou;ids my son Henry thirty
pounds. Item I give to my son Phillip and his heires forever a tract of land in Dorchester
'At this date WcstnioreUnd County was divided into two parishes: Cople, in the lower part, and
Washington, in the upper part. Cople Pari«h had two churches, Yeoconiico and Nominy ; Washington
Parish contained three churchc;. Round Hill, Old Pope's Creek, and Leeds, or Bray's.
I-EE OK VIRGINIA.
Countyonthe Kaste:u.hoar in Maryland and on the Xonh West fork of Na„ticoke river con
taunng 13,30 acres more or less cmd bounded as follows Be^inninfr ^t fh . , c
larger dividend of k.nd I have there hein, a .arked l.c;o;^^:::d^ ' X^:;: i^
ork of Na,u.coke .^ from E. by N. halfe No... 349 poles thence South o pole t i ce ^a^
22S poles thence South .So Do. East 4.0 poles thence South .74 poles thenceW I s ^
.5 degrees ^^ .iS poles thence W. by S...X4 poles to the river or fork side wh eh Hne div dt
n.) now seated plantat.on in two parts .^ from thence up the said river or fo.k its s ve a
curses to the beg.nn.ng. Iteu> I give to my son Francis and the heires n.ale of hi " d
aw uHyegotten forever all my lands .. tenements in Cdou.e.ter County called Paradice and
' '^'^'^,>,^y°""^ and for de.ault of .uch issue then & in such case I give the said land t;
myson Phdhp ^ hi. heires forever. Item I give to myson Thomas anAis heir t :^^
my lands tn the County of Northumberland at or near the dividing creeks Iten. I giv to
my son Phomas & h.s heires forever the residue of all my lands in the North ^^ t^rk If
Nant.coke rn-er „> Dorchester County in the Province of Marvland, adiov-.. to | ^H^l
^ tZ fZT' "" ""I'ip being in two parcells .. containing r^ir^'aLs mor; or
le.s. Item I gne to u>y son Henry .V las he.res forever the residue of all my lands in Cople
pansh m ^^estmoTd. County, adj.yning to a tract of land of .6co acres here before given to
myson R:chard and divided therefrom by dividing lines which I have caused Mr ^homls
1 hompson the Surv, your to make. Iten. I give to my daughter Ann Fit.hugb all'my ri^ht
de and clam, to a tract of Land of 4000 acres in Stafford County pattented b mv ho ou^ed
father deceased wh.ch said land I give to my daughter Ann X: her heires forev;. Item I
give to my son Francis all the cattle ^ hoggs & horses & mares which belon.^s to rne & shall
be found on my Paradice plantation in Cdo.ter County at the day of nrv death. Item I give
to my eldest son Richard Lee eight cowes .V calves wh.ch he or his order mav chase out of
my s 0CI..S on th,s & my ne.t quarter plantation with one fifth part of the hoggs that shall be
found at both these places at the day of my death. Item I give unto myson.-, Phillip Thomas
& Henry all rest .V residue of my stocks of cattle hoggs horses and mares which shall be
found upon any of my plantations or that doe belong to me at the day of my dead, and arc
not be.ore disposed of by th:s will, to be equally divided betwixt them three. Item I ^ive to
myson I h.ll.p these negroes (vig't.) Judith Somebody .^ Lawrence at home Harry Alice
Sambo .V Susan, Marion's girl at my next quarter, with Carpenter Jack .V Ralph at the
La^tern :,hoar._ Item I give to myson Fr..ncis these negroes ,vig't:, liettv ludith Peter
Lettice Dick Norman Charles Tony Alice Nan A: Isabel at Paradice with s'ambo at home
Item I give to my son Thomas the.e negroes (vig't.) Susan Tom Natt Young Pegg Doctor Bab
Nannebetty* g.rl at horn., Charles at dividing creek with Mole x\an Ben & Numa at my
next quarter. Item I give to my son Henry these following negroes (vig't.) Betty Pbill
Harry V Sarah Beck's children Prue Betty's girl .^ Ned all at home Sharp at Ea.tenf Shoar
& W.l Sarah Jack .v Prank Nans children .^ George .^ D.ana at my next quarter. Item
My will ,s that where I have given any females to any of my sons that to such respective
son I give the increase of such female whether born before or after the making of this will
and not given particularly in tin., wH! or delivered into the possession of .anv of my sons
or daughter before the making of th.s will. Bern I give to mv son Hen'rv old Be.
Pn Ihp .^ Thoma.s my lutle Shallop & furnhure. Item I give to mv sons Francis Thomas
^ Henry al the .sheets & table linnen .„nv in my hou.e that is marked nith one or both
letters of the.r names and to each of t!,em one ,ioz : new plates .^ four sizable di.he. all
fjn'^K!'-' ai
STKATFORD LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 8l
of j>e-.vter. Item I give to iny sons Irancis and Ilenr)' the standing beds and furniture in the
hall chamber.
Item I give to my daugluer Ann Fitzhugli Tony and Kate negroe cliildren which I have
put into her possession whicli with what 1 had before given her I give her as her filial por-
tion. Item I give to my sons Phillip Frr.ncis Thnmas and Henry all and every portion of
my real and personal estate that is not by this Will already given to be equally divided be-
tween them each to have one fourth part. Item my will is that my estate remain undivided
for one year after my death the negroes to work upon the lands they v.-ork on at tlie time of
my death and if my executors hereafter named in Virgiiiia think it convenient that my
estate remain in the same state for one year longer I doe hereby will the same and that such
of the Tobacco made upon my plantations by my negroes during they are undivided as is titt
for the London markett be consigned to my son Richard Lee in London and the remainder
of the cropps to be disposed of in such markett^ as my Virginia Ex's thinks htt my will and
desire being that the whole produce of my negroes crops dureing the afores'd time be carr'd
to the joynt acco't of my sons Phillip Francis Thomas and Henry and equally divided
amonst them except what is necessary in the discretion of my Ex'rs for the use of my plan-
tations and my will and de^iie is that noe part of my estate be appraised or valued and I doe
hereby constitute and appoint my son Rich'd Lee Merch't in London and my sons Thomas
and Henry Lee in Virg'a my K.x"rs of this my last Will and Testament. In witness v/hereof
I have hereunto sett my hand and seale and published the same my last Will and Testament
the day and yeare first menconed in the same.
Though no mention is made in this will of the furniture, books, por-
traits, and other household effects, it is probable they were all inherited by
the eldest son. An inventory of the personal projjerty, mentions " in the
hall, Richard Lee's picture, frame and curtain, G. Corbin's picture, the
Quaker's picture, T. Corbin's picture." Among some silver were "six
large spoons, marked si[uirrel." In the library, a large number of volumes
were named, among them the best authors of Roman, Grecian, and French
literature, volumes of sermons, treatises on history, law, religion, medicine,
botany, agriculture, and kindred subjects.'
Richard and I.x-titia (Corbin) I,ee had seven children, whose names
are given in his will (with one exception). They were:
i, John', The parish register of old Christ church, Lancaster, records the
baptism of '■ John Lee, son of Major Richard Leo and Mad'm Lettice,
his wife, on the 3rd day of Xber, 167S." As no such son was named
in his father's will, he probably died in infancy,
ii, Richard', See 3. p 91
iii, Philip', See 4. r .-^
iv, Francis ', nothing is known of his life, excepting the mere mention of
him in the wills of his fatlicr, brother and nejihcw. He was living as
late as 1749, for his nephew mentioned him, at that date, as being
5 A full list of this library iii.iy be found in ihr H'liliant anJ Mary CoUiQe ijuurta-iy, II, 147, el se
■>: -. ^ ! <::
■'■■■ ' ]■■ (. I ..
yv'-'
• fi^i ,'f
82 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
"now ill possession " of his estate, Paradise. He left no male heirs,
for his brother, Philip Lee, of Maryland, willed the reversion to Fran-
cis' estate to his own sons, thus: To "sons, Thomas and Richard and
their heirs forever, to be equally divided between them, that tract of
land in Gloucester county, Paradise ; the reversion left me by my de-
ceased father, Col. Richard Lee, of Virginia." One of these sons,
Thomas (in his will, dated in Aui^ust, 1749) bequeathed his "moiety
of a tract of land lying in Virginia, called Paradise, now in the pos-
session of Francis Lee, left me l)y my honored father, Philip Lee,
Esquire, to my son Thouias Sim Lee, and my daughter Sarah Brook
Lee." Probably Francis never married; at any rate he had no male
heirs as late as 1749, or the reversion to his estate could not have
been devised.
V, Thomas ', Sees, i-ic^
vi, Henry', See 6. .■ m
vii, AxN", born ; died in 1732; was twice married; first, to Col.
William Fitzhugh,, o( "Eagle's Nest," King George county, by
whom she had one son and two daughters: i, Henry Fitzhugh, born
; died the 6th of December, 1742; married Lucy, daughter of
Robert Carter, of " Corotoman," and left issue ; amongst otliers, a
daughter, "Betsy," Ikto the 20th of April, 1731, and married, on the
1 2th of J'ebruary, 1747, Benjamin Grymes ; they had a daughter who
was twice married; first to William Randolph, and next, to Col. Wil-
lian) K. Meade, and was the mother of the Rev. William Meade,
Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. His son, William Fitz-
hugh of "Chatham." born the 24th of August, i 741 ; died some years
after tlie Revolutionary war ; was a near neighbor and trusted friend
of Wa-^lnngton ; he maviied Anne, only daughter of Peter and Lucy
(Boiling) Randolph, of " Chatsworth," Henrico county, and left two
daughters and one son; the eldest, Anne, married Judge William
Craik' of .NLiryland ; the second, Mary, married George Washington
Parke Custis, of Arlington, and was the mother of Mary Anne Ran-
dolph Custis, who married Robert Edward Lee; the son, William
Henry Fitzhugh, oi " Ravensworth," Fairfax county, married on the
loth of January. 1814, Anna Maria Sarah, second daughter of the
Hon. Charles Go!(Ls!)orough (born 15th July, 1765; died 13th De-
1 The Hon. Wilh^m Cr.uk wjs ihr eklcst M>n of Dr. James an.i Mariamne (Ewel!) Cmlk ; Dr. Craik
born in Sc .tlari.t ibuut i;jo; cxmc lo Virginia in 1750; served on th? expedition of C.e.n.-rat' Bra.l'.iock ;
1 lifc-lon,; frie.-.; of Wasl.in^ton, o-M or-.r of I.;, pl.y.lcians .lurirg Ms bst ilJ.u.s. He died in Fairf-ix
county the 6 th of February, 1; s ( iH^yricr., '.a. (,fnc.t!.:;us, 3<i .)
WSIS
was
ij lit h cut-Lui,' '=. vte-k Q-1 ;L,
■i4A,(i^'l,
«> It .— ' * ^^ '*'^k ►"(!£, 1-^fci*-' i-^^uiy , , . ,
CcixJk n fill. c: aftth.>fi<^.'
'•♦■t
STRATFORD LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 83
cembcr, 1S34), and Elizabeth Goldsborough, his first wife; Mrs. Fitz-
hugh was born the 15th of November, 1796; died in April, 1S74,
wit"hout issue, when the estates passed to the children of ^Iv. Fitzhugh's
niece, Mrs. Robert K. Lee. 2, Lettice Fit/.hugh, born the 15th of
July, 1707 ; died the loth of February, 1732 5 married, on the i6th of
March, 1727, George Turberville, of '' Hickory Hill," Westmoreland;
apparently left no issue. 3, Sarah Fitzhugh, who married, on the 5th
of January, 1736, Edward Barradall, once attorney-general and judge
of the Admiralty Court of Virginia.
Second marriage of Ann Lee : After the death of Col. William
Fitzhugh, which occurred about 1 713-14, his widow married Captain
Daniel' McCarty, of "the Parish of Cople in the Co: of West'd
Esq^ ." He was born in 1679 ; died the 4th of May, 1724, ^is tomb
is still to be seen at old Yeocomico Church ; Captain McCarty was
Burgess, Justice and Sheriff for Westmoreland; in 1715-20, he was
Speaker of the Assembly. Ann (Lee-Fitzhugh) McCarty in her will
(dated the 7th of November, 1728; probated at Westmoreland, the
31st of May, 1732) mentioned her son, Col. Henry Fitzhugh, her
brother-in-law Henry Fitzhugh, her brothers, Thomas, Henry, and
Richard Lee, her daughter Lettice, also Elizabeth, daughter of Major
John Fitzhugh, her sons, BiUington and Thaddeus McCarty, also her
"daughter Sarah Fitzhugh, Col. John 'I'ayloe, and Sarah Beale. She
appointed her son, Henry Fitzhugh, and her brothers, Thomas and
Henry Lee, her executors. To her son, Henry, she left her " grand-
father Corbyn's wedding ring." (Hayden, Va. Gemahgus, ^6, S-j.)
THE CORBIN FAAHLY.
Arms : Sable, ou a chief or, three ravens, proper.
The records of the " College of Arms" at London mention that one
" Robert Corbin gave lands to the Abbey of Ealesworth between the years
I and 7 Henry H., A. D. 1154-61." From this Robert, the record con-
tinues ten generations to one "Nicholas Corbin seized of Hall End and
other Lands in the County of Warwick {jure uxoris), 1 Richard HL, and
14 Henry VIIL" Four generations afterwards is found, " Thomas Corbin
of Hall End aforcs'd, born 24 May, 1594; died in June, 1637, bur'd at
Kingswinford." This Thomas married in 1620, Winefred, daughter of
Gawen Grcsvenor, of Sutton Colfield co. Warwick. From this union, sprang
Henry Corbin, the progenitor of the Virginia family ; he was the third son,
was born in 1629 (according to an aftidavit), and died in Virginia, on the
Sth of Jaiiuarv, 1675. ^^^ came to Virginia about 1654 and settled first
■; ' . •■. i.
■11
. il /'I : • vj:
.ill .').f.i:i,J
'(C >Mi .'itk';- rrf
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
in the parish of Stratton Major, in King and Queen county; he appears to
have taken up lands in Lancaster, \Ve5tmoreland, Middlesex and other
counties; was a Burrjess trom Lancaster in 1659; a Justice for Middlesex
in 1673; and a memlier of the Council as early as 1663; later he was
seated at " Pcckatone " in Westmoreland county. The patent for Pecka-
tone was dated 26th of March, 1664. " Peckatom or Peckatone, an Indian
name," says a writer on Westmoreland, "was a magnificent estate, owned
by the Corbins. The house, built of imported brick, within a few yards of
the river bank, shaded by old forest trees, grounds laid off on a large scale,
it bore some years ago, more the appearance of a proud aristocratic resi-
dence than any other in the county. Since then the estate has been sold
and the family scattered. Many wild stories were told, in my youth, of
how a lady owner played the part of a petty tyrant among her overseers and
negroes, confining the former in her
dungeons beneath the house, and the
latter sometimes whipped to death !
Plow she traveled at night in her
coach and four, armed with pistols and
guns. How, in the last day of her
recklessness, she, her coach and coach-
men were borne aloft in a terrible hur-
ricane, and lost to sight. From that
day the house remained unoccupied
for years. Then, in popular opinion,
it was haunted ; lights were seen pass-
ing from room to room, and awful
groans and shrieks at night would
assail ihe ear of the luckless traveler,
who happened to be in its vicinity."
It has been a family tradition that Henry Corl'in was married severp.1
times, but there is record only of one marriage ; on the 25th of July, 164,5,^
he married Alice, daughter of Richard Eltonhead, of P^ltonhcad, co. Lancas-
ter, England. It is said she was then the widow of Roland Burnham ; after
Henry Corbin's death, she married Captain Henry Creek, who died about
August of 1684, " at the house of Col. Richard Lee on the River Potomac."
LattivilU, Virginia.
1 If Ui^nry Corbin was married orjly once, and chat wife was the widow cf Roland Burnham, first of
York an ', Inter of Lanc.ister, then he could not have married before iCj6. 1 he records show that Capt.
RoI.indIiirnh.imw.i-; a l!:ir^ess in 16+4-45-46- 4c). His will, dated the 12th of February, 1655 ; probated,
in L.\ncascer. on the i.(th of January, I'ijo, mentions cluldren, Thomas, Jol.n, K!canor, I'rancis, and wife.
Alice. Several documents, recorded at Lancaster, rh-iw that Alice, the widow of Roland Kurnham, mar-
ried Henry Corbin, of Muldlcscx. ( Vu.. Mu^'. of tiiitjry, etc., I. 237, Notci.) l^ut was she his first wife?
'f tTv'Aia'.n -/lur.u'
(I'j/ft .-iiv/ 0
STRATFORD LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 85
?Ienry CorMii. the \'iiL'inia immigrant, left three sons — Henry, t'.]6b7;'xi
IhouKib-'. Ga\vin,/ana five daiiL^hiers — L.eiuui-. Alice. Winiii'ed, Aniie;
and Frances. The eW^ son,". Henry, died when two years old; the elc^-^st son,
second, rhomas," settled at London, as a merchant, prol)ablv in partnership
with his uncle, Gawin ; for r.uder date of the 2.?d of July, 1675, " Gawin
Corbin Cittizen Leather Seller of London," appointed his " trusty and
well beloved friend Richard Lee, Esq., of Vir^^inia," his attorney to collect
debts due him from John I'rcuisham, of Potomac River. He was living at
London in 1722, and probably as late as 1732, for in that year a Thomas
Corbin executed deeds; this latter Thomas might have been a cousin, the
son of Gawin of London. Apparently Thomas Corbin never married, as
his lands were eventually inherited and devised by his younger brother,
Gawin of Virginia. Henry Corbin's daughters niust have been older than
the sons ; were certainlv so if he married only once. They married as
follows: L:etitia; Richard Lee, of " Mt. Pleasant," Westmoreland, which
estate adjoined "Peckatone;" Alice, Philip Lightfoot ; ^^"inifred, Le Roy
Grittin ; Anne, William Tayloe ; Frances, Gov. Edmund Jenings, of
Rippon in Virginia.
From Henry Corbin's youngest son, Gawin (possiiily your.gest child),
are descended the Virginia family. He was a prominent man in the Colony ;
was Burgess in'^i70o, 1702, 171S, and probably in 1736; also a i^neffl-l^ej:^-ej"
thtr~€oti-r>etl-. Richard of Laneville in a letter (preserved in his letter book)
states that his " father Gawin Corbin died on the ist of January, 1745."
It is said that he was married several times ; he was certainly niarried twice,
and probably three times. His first wife was Catharine,^ flaugliter of Ralph
Wormeley (probablv by his first wite, Catharine Lunsford), no issue; he
married, secondly,^ Jane, daughter and co-heir of Jolin^ Lane, of York
River, and widow of Willi--. AVilson— -slie was'l:'vii'i:j: as lale"as"i7i^ : by this
wife he had issue; possibly she \vas the mother of all his children. Bishop
Meade has stated that '• Gawin Corbin, the other son of Henry Corbin,
aHd--OiveeT'f€sideiit-G-f--the-C-otn>eil,%narried a daughter of William Bassett,
and left seven children," etc' The Va. G^izctic gives notice of the death
on the 12th of June, 173S, of Martha, wife of Col. Gawin Corbin of
King and Queen county. William Bassett, second of the name in Virginia,
had a daughter, Martha, born the jSth of December, 1694 (Keith). This
Gawin certainly left three sons, Richard, John, and Gawin ; as to the
number of his daughters there is some uncertainty. Bishop Meade has
stated that ho had tour, and that they married : Jenny, Col. John Bushrod,
OIJ Ci'iurches, FaiiiilUs, etc. .'II, I^0.
^,;.._.:
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/. . . nftl>jn
' .'^'S'h^.'ih
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86 LEE OF VIRfllNIA.
Burgess, Westmoreland, 1748-55, and had, among others, Hannah, who
married John Augustine Washington ; Joani'ia,^Major Robert Tucker ; Alice,
Benjamin Nccdlet ; and Annc,^AVilloughl)y Allerton. His three sons, just
named, married and (probably) had issue as follows :
i, Richard, "of Raneville in King and Queen county in Virginia, eldest
son, President of the King's Council and Receiver General ol the King's
Quit Rents in \'irginia, 1776. Living in 17S3, aged about 75 " (family
chart), tie married, in 1737, Elizabeth, daughter of John Tayloe, of
!Mt. Airy, Richmond cjunty; she died in 1784, and left issue, three
daughters and five sons ; the eldest daughter married Carter Braxton ;
the other two, Alixia and Lxnitia, died unmarried. The five sons mar-
ried as follows: i, Gawin, of '' JUickingham House," Middlesex, was
educated abroad, returned to Virginia about 1 761, was a member of
the Council 1775, Burgess 1769 ; married Joanna Tucker, pr-etebiy his
fu'Sl cousin, and had three daughters, one of whom, Betsy, it is said,
married George Lee Turberville ; Felicia, Orris Chilton ; Martha,
Bcale. 2, John Tayloe, was Burgess from King and Queen county 1 769,
1772 ; married Mary, daughter of Benjamin Waller, and died in 1793,
leaving issue, of whom later. 3, Richard, was unm.arried in 17S3, aged
about 32. 4, Thomas, also unmarried in 17S3. aged al^out 28. 5,
Francis, of "The Reeds," Caroline county, who died on the 15th of
June, 1821, aged 62 yeais ; was educated at Canterbury School, Cam-
bridge, and later studied law at the Liner Temple, and returned to
Virginia about 17S3 ; lie v.-as a trequent member of the House of Dele-
gates and also of the Convention of 17S8 5 he married Anna Munford,
daughter of Robert Beverley, of "Wakefield," Culpeper county, and
Maria Carter, his wife ; they had issue : Robert, Francis Porteus, \\'illiam
Lygon, John Saw bridge, Washington Shirley, and Thomas Grosvenor;
their daughter, Anna Page Corbin, married her first cousin, Benjamin
Franklin Randolph.
ii, John, of " Portobago," Essex county, was born the 8th of July, 1715 ;
died the Sth of August, 1757; married (about 1737) Lettice, eldest
daughter of Richard and Martha (Silk) Lee, of London (see 3, ii ), and
had two daughters, Murtha and Jane, and one son, Gawin, of "Yew
Spring," Caroline county. John Corbin was the jiresiding justice for
Essex in 1742. and uicmber of tlie Council in 1775. ILsson, Gawin,
married, in^i 776, Bets}-, daughter of Thomas Jones, of Xorthumberland
county, and was the grandfather of Mr. Augustus G. W. Corbin, of that
county. His sister, Martha, born the 19th of November, i 738, died the
8th of January, 1792; married her first cousin, John Turberville, of
l-'.-U i)
>:::n,-^
■'- ■ STRATFORD LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 87
" Hickory Hill." Westmoreland, and had lencliildren (see Tnrberville
under -j).
^^ b 172.0:
iii, Gawin, of "Peckatone," Westmoreland;, the third son of Gawin, in-
herited the propertv of his uncle, Thomas of London ; he married :--4t)'
Hannah, ^daughter of 'I'hom.^s Lee, of Stratford, and left an only daugh-
ter, Martha, j\ho married, on the ist of June, 1769, George Richard
Turberville, and had two sons, Gawin Corbin and Richard Lee. Gawin
Corbin married a daughter of Col. John Daingerfield, and had a
daughter, ^L^ry, who married William F. Taliaferro, and left issue.
The younger son, Richard Lee Turberville, married, about the 14th
of December, 1794, his cousin, Henrietta, daughter of Richard Henry
Lee, of "Chantilly," by his second wife, Anne (Gaskins) Pinkard
(for their issue see Turberville). Gawin Corbin died about January,
1760; his will is given here in full; he names only brother Richard
and sister '■ Tucker," but mentions " brotliers and sisters."
In the name of God, Amen. I Gavin Corbin in the parish of Cople and County of
Westmoreland, being weak of !)ody but of sound sence and Memory, Blessed be God, do
this twenty ninth day of October, . . . year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred
and . . . [fifty-nine?] . . . and pid>lish this my last W\\\ and Testament in manner
follow 'ng :
First, I desire to be buried privately and without pomp. Item, I lend all my Estate
both real and personal to my dear wife during her widdowhood and Continence in this
County, allowing my daughter Martha Corbin out of my Estate a Genteel Education and
mentainance at the discretion of my Executors hereafter mentioned: but if my wife con-
tinues a widow until my Daughter Martha Corbin marries or comes to the age of one and
twenty years, then it is my will and desire that she my said Daughter shall have one-half of my
whole Estate, and if iny wlte marries again or leaves this County, then and in that case, my
will and desire is that uiy said wife shall be deprived of the beijuest already made lier and in
lieu thereof shall only have one third of my Estate real and personal, and the remaining two-
thirds of my Estate shall immediately {•ass to my said Daughter Martha Corbin, and the
heirs of her body lawfully begotten forever, and in default of such heirs, I give one hrdf of
my estate unto my brother Richard t'orbin's two youngest sons and to their heirs forever
and the other half of my Estate to tiie two youngest sons of my Dear sister Tucker, if it
should so happen that she has more than two sons, but if not then I would have this half of
my estate descend to her youngest son and his or their heirs forever, as the case may be.
Item, my will and de-ire is that at tiie death of my dear wife that my whole estate both real
and personal then in her possession shall descend to my Daughter Martha Corbin and the
heirs of her body lawfully begotten forever, and for want of sucii heirs then to descend to
the younger sons of my Brother Richard Corbin and sister Tucker in manner
as is before mentioned '. . — rying again the County, or my
Daughter's dying without heirs of her body lawfully begotten. Item, I give twenty pounds
Stirling to be sent for in Course goods to the Boor of the parish of Cople, such who have
many children and use their utmost endeavors to support them by honest Labour and
Industry, but still fmd themselves from their numerous family incapable; and this bequest
•-■'!l' i"
id) ' . •ill tn II.'
.^^^ r , I.
8S LEE OF VTRGIN'IA.
I will have di5tril)uted at the discretion of my Executors. Item, it is ray Express desire
that my DauglUer Martha Corbin do n^'t marry untill she arrives at the age of twenty one
years and then not without the Consent of the Guardians or the majority of them, which if
she does I desire tliat my estate may immediately descend to the youngest sons of my Brother
Richard Corbin and my sister Tucker, as I have before directed and my Daughter Martha to
have but one shilling of my Estate ; this I desire that a prudent Choice may be made of a man
of sense and Family — that she may live Happily in a matrimonial state. Item, I desire all my
just debts may be paid as soon as possible. Item, my will and desire is that ray Godson
Thomas Lee, son of Richard Henry Lee, may be paid one hundred and fifty pounds sterling
to be applied to accomplishing his Education when he is sent home. Item, my will is
further that if my Crops should not be sufficient to pay my debts, then I would have my
Caroline lands sold to pay them and it is my Express desire thr.l Edy, Truelove and Cyrtts,
three of my negroes, be sent to the West Indies and sold, and the money arising from the
sale of them to be applyeu to the payment of my .... and this I will have done as
soon as . . . opportunity decease. Item, I do hereby ....
and appoint my wife. Colonel Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Ludwell Lee, Francis Lightfoot
Lee and Richard Corbin, Executors of my will and Guardians of my Daughter Martha
Corbin. Item, I give all ray Brothers and Sisters, Nepliews and Nieces a mourning ring
apiece of a guinea value. Item, It is my desire that my Brother Richard Henry Lee may
be one of my acting Executors. Item, my will and desire is that my Estate may not be
appraised, as it may be attended with useless and unnecessary expense, trouble and Confu-
sion.
[Probated, at Westmoreland, on 29th of January, 1760. In accordance with the
requirements of this will, consent to the marriage of George Turberville and Martha Corbin
were filed: from Thomas Ludwell Lee, R. H. Lee and Hannah Corbin, on the 23d
of May, 1769; from Fr.meis Lightfoot Lee on l6th of May, 1769.]
The later generations of this family in Virginia are descended from
John Tayloe, second son of Richard and Elizabeth (Tayloe) Corbin ; he
married Mary, daughter of Benjamin Waller, of Williamsburg, and had four
sons, and three daughters. His eldest son, Richard, inherited the family
estates of I^aneville, Moss Neck, Farley Vale, and others; served as a
captain of artillery in 1S12; died on loth of June, 1S19, aged 48 years;
married Rebecca, daughter of James Parke Farley, and Elizabeth Byrd, his
wife, and had three daughters and two sons. (The coat of arms, given
above, was that used_ by him ; it represents the arms of the Corbin family
quartered with ^"ayloe bearing in an escutcheon of pretence the arms of
Farley quartering Parke.) His second son, James Parke Corbin, born in
iSoS, died on the 2Sih of November, 1S6S; was twice married; first to
Jane Catharine, daughter of John S. Wellford, of Fredericksburg, and ne.xt
to Eliza Lewis Hoomes of Bowling Creen ; he had ten children ; his second
son, Spotswood Wellford Corbin (the present head of the family) was
born the 22d of January,. 1S35 ; served in the Confederate navy, and is
now the President of the Virginia State Ponrti of Agriculture; he resides
'•1 -l'
ki: i'.' ...AiJ'., .'.••»
STRATFORD LINE, SECOND GENERATION.
89
. \
at " Faiiey Vale, " in King George county. M'r. Corbin married Diana
Fontaine, the second daughter of Com. Matthew F. Maury, the distin-
guished scientist, and has one surviving son, Mattliew Maury Corbin.
THE FrrZ-HUGH FAMILY.
Arms; A.'ure, three chevrons brased in base, or, and a chief or.
Crest: A wyvern with wings expanded, argent.
"Although," says Burke, " the surname of Fitz-Hugh was not appro-
priated to this family before the time of Edward III., it had enjoyed con-
sideration from the period of the Conquest : when its ancestor, Bardolph,
was Lord of Ravenswath, with divers other manors,
in Richmondshire." From this ancestor, the family
is traced, from father to son,' through the following
generations: Bardolph was succeeded by his son
Akaris Fitz-Bardolph ; he by Hervey Fitz-Akaris ; he
by Henry Fitz-Hervey; then F.andolph Fitz-Henry,
Henry Fitz-Randolj^h, Randolph Fitz-Henry, who was
succeeded by his brother IFugh Fitz-Henry ; he died
in 1304, and was followed by his son, Henry Fitz-
Hugh, the first to bear the surname of Fitz-Hugh,
which name has been adopted by his descendants to
"',') this day.
^ This Henry Fitz-Hugh followed the Edwards H. and
HL in their Scottish wars ; he was summoned by writ
to parliament, as Baron Fitz-Hugh, in 1321, being the first to bear that title.
He died in 1356, and was succeeded by his grandson, Henry; from whom
the male line continued in unbroken succession till the death of George, the
seventh Baron, when the barony "fell into abeyance." The Barons Fitz-
Hugh took prominent parts in the political and military movements of their
day ; were summoned, generation after generation, to the various parlia-
ments, and held other positions of trust and responsibility.
The progenitor of the well known Virginian branch of this family, was
Colonel William Fitzhugh, who was the son of Flenry, a lawyer of Bedford,
England. He was born in the town of Bedford, on the 9th of January,
i65i,and died at his home " F.cdford," in Stafford county, in October,
1701. He came to Virginia about 1670; was a lawyer of prominence, a
large planter, merchant and shipi^er. He married, on the ist of May, 1674,
Sarah Tucker, who was born in Westmoreland county on the 2d of August,
1663 ; she was therefore at the time of her marriage not quite eleven years
old. It is said that her husband sent her to England, immediately after
6
-ll-
'sii>^
1 •■'. :\.\-:f;(] !
!V/,7 ; ■TA)
90 .i r>EE OF VIRGINIA.
their marriage, to conijilctc her education. Colonel I'it/hugh left si.x
children, among whom he divided a very large e.state. His children were:
i, WiLLi.VM, of •' Eagle's Nest," who died in 1713-14; he married Ann,
only daughter of Richard and I.cetitia (Corbin) Lee, of " Mt. Pleas-
ant," Westm.oreland, and had issue as previously stated (p. 82).
ii, Hexkv, born the 15th of January, 16S6; died the 12th of Deceniber.
1758; married, on the 24th of February, 171S, Su.sanna, a daughter of
Mordecai Cooke, of Clovicester county; she was born the 7th of Decem-
ber, 1693 ; died the 2isl of November, i 749. I'hey had a son Thomas,
of " Boscobell," who was twice married ; first, on tlie iSth of October,
1746, to Catharine IJooth, who died in February, 1748 ; he next mar-
ried Sarah, a daughter of the Rev. David Stuart, of King George
county, and had two children : i, Susannah, who married (1766) Wil-
liam Knox, of '• Windsor Lodge," Culpeper county, the progenitor
of that family in Virginia. 2, Thomas, of " Boscobell," who married
Ann, daughter of Col. Jolm Rose, of Amherst county ; their son, Wil-
liam Henry, left a daughter, Ann Eliza Fitzhugh, who married Joseph
Burwell Ficklen, of F'xdericksburg, and their daughter, Ann Eliza
Ficklen, married Captain Daniel Murray Lee (see 74).
iii, Thomas, who married Anne, a daughter of Colonel George ALason, of
Stafford county (second of the name and grandfather of the celebrated
George Mason, of " Gunston "). He died in June, 1715.
iv, GeoR(;e, who mairied Mary Mason, a sister of his brother's wife; their
son, William I'it/hugh, married Mrs. Martha (Lee) Turberville, the
daughter of Richard and Martha (Silk) Lee, of London, and the widow
of George Turber\'i!!e, of \\'estmoreland ; they had, nt least, one son,
George Lee Miu>on litzhugh, who has left descendants.
V, John, born ; diedi the 2ist of January, 1733 ; he married .Ann Bar-
bara, a daugliter of Capt. Daniel McCarty. of Westmoreland ; they had
issue: \Villiam, born the i^U\ of April, 1725; Danic', born the 2Sth
of June, 1733. His sister-in-law (.Vnn Lee Fitzhugh) mentioned iii
her will, a daughter, Elizabeth.
vi, Rosamond, who nurried a Colonel .Vllerton. or Olierton. of Westmore-
land, and died without issue.
The family seats of the Fitzhughs, in Virginia, were named after the
ancestral estates in England ;. such as " Belle Air," " Bo.scobell," "Chat-
ham," " Marmion," '• Ravensworth," and " Raven^wood." The list of the
grandchildren of Colonel 'William lMt/.!iugh, the progenitor oC the Virginia
family, is j^robably very incomp'lcte ; from these grandchildren a very
numerous fL\mil}" ha-s descended.
;0V'
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•:•-'.■(
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.O
STR.\TI-ORD LINE. THIRD OF.NERATION. gi
STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GKXKRATTOX.
Richard Lee, of London.
3. Richard, tlic oldest s'lrviviu^ >oii of Richard Lee' (Richard^) and
L;\?t!tia Corljin, his wife, was born abodt-^^fS— 9, and died at I-ondon in
1 7 18. Somewhere about 1710-11 he had t;one over to London and settled
there as a Virginia merchant in partnership with his maternal uncle,
Thonias Corbin. Very little information can be found concerning him.
By the kindness of William Blackstone Lee. Escp, the few iteip.s following
were copied from the London records :
I 719. Ricliard Lee died in the parish of St. Anne within the Liberty
of ^^'estminster, intestate. On the Sth of November, 1711, Wm. Ellins
and Edmund Farrington sold to the said Ric. Lee all their wares,
merchaiidises, &:c. Ric. Perry of the parish of St. Catharine Creechurch,
London, merchant, was appointed administrator of the goods of the said
Ric. Lee as far as concerned the said merchandises. Given at London 2d
January, 171S-19.
1724. On the i6th' of November, 1724, there was issued a commis-
sion to John Crabit, creditor of the late Richard Lee, late of the parish of
St. Olave, Llart Street, London, but who died in the parish of St. Anne
Vv^estminster in Co: Midd. Martha Lee, the relict and George, Martha,
and Lxiitia Lee, minors, children of the deceased, cited but not appearing.
On the 5th of November, 1716. -'Richard Lee, of London, son of
Richard Lee of Cople parish, in Virginia," leased to Reuben \\'elch,
Thomas Lee and Henry Lee, of Essex, the 2,600 acres whereupon his father
had lived. " Vielding and paying therefor the yearly rent of one peper
corn only on tlie fea-^t day of the birth of Our Lord God." This lease is
mentioned in the will of Thomas Lee. In a j)etition from " Martha Lee,
widow of the late Richard Lee, of London," dated the 19th of October,
1730, she mentioned this lease of 1716, and stated that her husband was
the son of Richard Lee, Sen'r, i\:c. ; gave her residence in -'Goodman's
Fields, i)arish of St. Mary White Chappel, Tvliddlesex," England. William
Lee i.in 1771) stated that, " Richard married an heiress in England by the
name of Silk, and by her left one son, Cieorge, and two daughters, Lettice
and Martha; all of these children went to Virginia and settled. George
married a Wormeley, who died leaving one daughter ; he then married a
Fairfax, nearly related to Lord Fairfax of Yorkshire, and died leaving by
his last marriage three sons, that are now mir.ors and are at school in
F^ngland under care of' Mr. James Russell. Lettice married a Corbin and
her sk-ter a Turberville ; their elde>t children intermarried, from which
( 1.,
T ;.v i
,.,•■..-..7/ kI :?f::. ■
I • '■' ;:)::. J ■ )'l
92 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
union, George Lee Turlierville, now at sclu)ol at Winton College, is the
olde^jt issue." Ricliaul Lee's wife was therefore named ALirtha Silk ; they
had three children :
i, George*. See 7.
ii, Lettice*, born at London about 1715 ; died the 15th of January, 1768,
in Virginia, aged (it is said) 54 years; she married (probably about
1737) Col. John Corbin, of " Poriobago," Essex county; they had
two daughters — Martha and Jane — and one .son, Gawin, of *'Ye\v
Spring," Caroline county. Martha Corbin, born the 19th of Novem-
ber, 1738; died the Sth of Januar\, 1792; married her first cousin,
John Turberville, and had ten children (see Turberville) ; Jane was
probably the ■' Miss Jane Corbin " mentioned as having stood sponsor
for George Lee lurberville in 1761. i..- . i-^^ jii:^ .-;> I • v--- > ■. -,f'
iii, iNLA.RTHA*, born at Loudon about 1716; was twice married; first, to
Major George Turberville, of •' liickory Hill," Westmoreland, and
had a son, John Turberville, who was born the 14th of September,
1737; died the roth of July, 1799; married, in 1759, his first cousin,
Martha Corbin, as previously staled, and had ten children (see Turlier-
ville). After George Turberville's death, in 1742, Martha (Gtmrirr)
Turberville married Captain Willian^ Fitzhugh, of Maryland, and had
one son, George Lee Mason.
Note. — Mr. Augustus G. W. Corbin, of Northumberland county, has
some very interesting portraits of the Corbins. An account of them, sent
by a lady of that county, is as follows:
Hon. John Corbin, in British uniform, with sword in hand, full-size
portrait.
Wife of above, who was a Lee (Lettice?), taken in full dress, brocade
silk, with much lace.
Gawin — a boy — with his sister Jane, said to be children of above.
Bettie Tayloe Corbin, married a Turberville, in full evening costume,
brocade silk, handsome lace, decollete, an English face, full and florid, an
exquisite arm and hand, which she displa}'s to the best advantage by point-
ing to an imaginary object. (Painted by John Hesselius, 1755.)
. A.'
CiJ.^
• .r "
> ■ ! f
STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION.
93
THE TURBERVILLES.
Arms : Ermine, a lion rampant, gules, crowned or.
Crest: A castle, argent, portcullis or.
The Viri^inia Turbervilles are said to be descended from the English
family of Bere Regis, Dorset. On the " Battel-Abbey Roll" appears the
name of a Sir Payne Turberville, who was a companion of the Conqueror,
and is supposed to have been the
progenitor of this family in England.
The manor of Bere Regis was sold
to Robert Turberville, for jQdo^,
1 6s. 8d., in 3S Henry VIII., and was
for years the seat and sepulchre of
generations of this family. The
hall of the manor house was adorned
with the arms of Turberville, im-
paling those of the various families
with whom they had intermarried.
In the year 1633, a John Turber-
ville died, aged 77, leaving a grand-
son, John, his heir, of whom no
account is given in the family pedi-
gree ; he may have been the ancestor
of the John Turberville who died
in Virginia in 1728. As the family
in Virginia used the arms of the
VJt^ (3/ /^ // Turbervilles of Bere Regis, it is most
,e^me-.:Zr^..U^^r^^^^^ probable they were descended from
^ Virginia. ^^ei^. The print, given here, is a
copy of the book-plate of George Lee Turberville.
John Turberville, of Lancaster county, was a Justice in 1699, Bur-
gess in 1703-4, Sheriff in 1705-7. -^^d died in 172S. In a deed of 1726,
he mentioned his son, George, as his sole heir. A daughter probably mar-
ried Francis Kenner, as the latter mentioned in his will of 1725, his
brother-in-law George Turberville.
Georce Turberville, of " Hickory Hill," Westmoreland, was a Justice
in 1720,^1(1 in 1722-23, Clerk in 1726-42; he was married three
times ; first, tu Elizabeth, a daughter of Henry Asluon, oi Westmoreland,
by whom he had, at least, one daughter, Elizabeth, as mentioned in the
will of Henry Ashton. He married, secondly, on the 16th of March, 1727,
f
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94 LF-K OF VIRGINIA.
Lcttice, the daughter of Williim and Ann (Lee) Fitzhugh ; slic was born
the 15th of July, 1707 ; died tlie loih of I'ebruary, 1732, and was buried
near "Hickory Hill;" her tombstone states that she ''died great with child,"
but mentions no children. CiOorL'e Turberville married, thirdly, Martha,
the daughter of Richard Lee, of London, and Martha Silk, his wife ; after
his death, which occurred in 1742, she married William Fitzhugh, of ALary-
land, a captain in the English army and had a son, George Lee Mason.
George Turberville's daugh.ter by his first wife probably married Gowry
Waugh, and had a son, George \\'aMgh. The records of the Va. Court of
Appeals show that Mrs. Waugh had a half-brother, George Fitzhugh.
The will of George Turberville, probated at Westmoreland on the 30th of
I^Larch, 1742, mentioned his wife, .\Lirtha, a daughter, his "dear little son
John," and an unborn child, who v,-as named George Richard. The eldest
son, John, was born tlie 14th of September, T737 ; died the loth of July,
1799; married, in 1759, his first cousin, Martha, daughter of Col. John
Corbin, of " Portoliago," and Leltice Lee, his wife; they had these ten
children :
i, George Lee ^a co[)y of whose book-plate is given) was born the 7th of
September, 1760; died in i79<S; married Betty Tayloe Corbin (pro-
bably a daughter of (jawin Corbin, uf " Jiuckingham House") and
had issue John and tv,o daugluers, who niarried two Beales ; George
served for some time as cajitain on the staff of General Charles Lee;
later wiHi Steuben in the south, a., the following letter shows :
LTnder date of 21st of March, 17S1, Col°: Geo: Lee Turberville wrote
to Gov: Jefferson.
" Dear Sir, I cannot express niy.-elf in terms suii'iciently strong to convey to you an
Idea of my Gratitude in return for your i.bii^jiing Letter relative to Baron Steuben. I fol-
low'd precisely its advice, altho' subsequent ill-treatment from the Baron has obliged me to
act differently since, the whole of which 1 ^sill make known to you the first favorable oppor-
tunity. I have only to .solicit you at pre ent to let me know by the first opportunity whether
you or the Council have ever infnrnicd t:ic l>arun that you highly disapproved of my coidmt
ivhilst I had the honor to conimatid at S,n::y J'oiii! ; as that Major-Genl: has given informa-
tion to the Marcjuis that it was from the Executive veiy liiuch disapproving of my conduct
that occasi med him to some steps with me that have been highly preiudicial to my reputa-
tion, health and peace of mind" (I, I'a. CrJ. State Papers, 5S5J.
After the war he was a de!e_^alc lo the X'irginia Assembly in 17S5-
86-S7 ; a member of tlie Cunvcnti.Mi of 17S.S, and Sheriff of Riclimond
county in 179'*^.
ii, lettice Corbin, born the 7th of Jrn-nary. 1763; married, al)0ut 177S,
>Lijor Catesby Jone>, of Wotmoreland, and iiad these seven children ;
) oi
STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. 95
Roger, Thomas ap Caiesby, Ph^iip Catesby, Euscbius, Elizabeth Lee,
Martha Corbin, and Sally Skelton Jones. (See Jones Family under
36, i-)
iii, John Corbin, born the loth of October, 1765.
iv, Jane Lane, born the 1st of May, 1767.
V, Ann Silk, born the ist of April, 1769.
vi, Lucy Silk, born the nth of May, 1770.
vii, Rebecca Lee, born the 21st of September, 1772; died the ist of April,
1785 (tombstone near " Hickory Hill"),
viii, Charles Lee, born the i6th of December, 1775.
ix, Martha Corbin, born tlia 4th of Xovember, 177S; married, on the
25th of January, iSoo, Dr. Mottrom Ball (1767-1842), second son
. of Captain Spencer Ball, of "Coan," Northumberland county; she
died the 26th of March, 1S65, and left four children (Hayden, Fa.
Genealogies, 136).
X, Troilus Lewin, born the 29th of December, 1780: died without
issue.
The second son of George Turberville, by his third wife Martha Lee,
was born some time after his father's death, about 1742, and was named
George Richard; he married, on the ist of June, 1769, Martha, the only
child of Gawin Corbin, of " Peckatone," Westmoreland, and Hannah
Lee, his wife, and left two sons, Gawin Corbin and P.ichard Lee. There
was probably a daughter also, as a Hannah Turberville, who was said to be
engaged lO a Mr. Tomson, is mentioned in \\\t Jcitrnal of a Young La^iiy of
Virginia, p. 2)~- Of '^^s sons, Gawin Corbin "married," a' daugliter of Col.
John Daingerfield, of Essex county, and had a daughter, Mary, who mar-
ried William F. Taliaferro, and left issue.
The younger son, Richard Lee Turberville, married about 14th of
December, 1794, his cousin, Henrietta, daughter of Richard Henry Lee,
of "Chantilly," by his second wife, Anne (Gaskins) Pinkard, and had
issue: Cornelia Lee, George Lee, and Richard Henry Turberville (see 18,
vi). Of these, Cornelia Lee, born the 6th of September, 1797 ; died the
4th of March, 1SS3, and married, in 1814, Charles Calvert Stuart, who was
born the 9th of February, 1794, and died the 2d of September, 1846; he
was the youngest son of Dr. David Stuart ^ and Eleanor (Calvert) Custis,
> Dr. David Stuart fborn 3d of August, 1753) was the Son of the Rev. William Stuart and Sarah
Foote, his wife, and the grani!son of the Rev. D.\vid Stuart, who married Hnrrict Ciibbons, sister of bir
John Gibbons, Bart., and M. P. for Es-ex ; the Rev. David Stuart was Rector cf St. Paul's Parish, King
George county, 1732-49, when he was Succeeded by his son. the Rev. William Stuart, wlio died in 17^6
(Hayden, ia. Ger.eal •^■et , 73::).
(V ;»-.!.
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( •■•..-1
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96 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
his wife, who wpji the widow of John Parke Custis, and the second daughter
of l^enedict Calvert, of " Mt. Airy," Prince George's county, Md.; she
was born about 1756, and died the 28th of April, 181 1 ; Mr. Custis died
on the 5th of Xoveniber, 1781. and she married Dr. Stuart in the autumn
of 17S3; they resided for some years at "'Abingdon," on the Potomac
River between Wa.sliington and Alexandria (see, also, Custis Family, under
50). They had seven children : Ann Calvert, Sarah, Ariana Calvert, Wil-
liam Skolto, Charles Calvert, Eleanor, and Rosalie Eugenia Stuart. Georcre
Lee Turberville married a Miss Dobell, and left issue. Richard Henry
Turberville died without issue.
Hon. Puii.ir Lee. p.?.t
4. Philip \ tliird son of Richard Lee ' (Richard '), and Laititia Corbin,
his wife, was born in Westmoreland county,^J'^T)oirt— ttSSt-^; he died
in 1744, about April of that year. As he moved to Maryland in 1700, he
may have been born earlier than tlie date given here. He was a mcml,er of
the Council in Maryland, and a Justice ; no further data concerning his
career has been discovered. He lived at •■ Blenheim," in I^Vmce-Geo^^ge's
county, in that State. yW:,'^^ Zcc. u^c.-t cc ..-^n. -. -r/^s. .v^ x;cyi,../«^_.'7j^-..T'i..o,.^
Philip was twice married ; first "to Sarah, daughter of Hon. Thomas
,^ _^ g^*J^jke, Esq. (i6>v^-i-'^^), of^ '•' lirookeneld/' and Barbara-Addison-, his ;u^r
i yj^^'.i TJ^o^l?;-': ^'^*-' ^''^V''^'^^'"J-^'^oo^^'^^2'^'^^^ed' land'to '^^^^^ ■phil'ip"""
Lee, m 1713 ;she died in November, between i6th and 2Sth, 1724. By
her will (dated i6th and probated zSth of xXovember, 1724), she left her
"younger son Arthur Lee and his heirs forever all that tract or parcell of
Land which my Honored Father 'J~ho3. Brooke, Esq., gave me the said Sarah
Lee, . . . lying at Rock Creek, and I do by these presents Consti
tute ordain and ai.poiiU my Loving Brother Mr. Thomas Brooke, Gentleman,
to be Executor of this my Last Will and Testament; ^cc." Philip married,
secondly, about 17:^5-^"'. Elizabeth, the widow of Flenry Sewall, Gent., who
■ survived him. In the Maryland Archives Council Proceedings, 5th of
July, 1728, it was stated that the Hon. Philip Lee, member of the Coun-
cil, claimed the care, education, and estate of his stepson, Nicholas Sewall,
son of his wife by her first husband, Henry Sewall, Gent., late of St. Mary's
county. The stei)son, Nicholas Sewall. being then about seven years old,
was, it is stated, sought to be " Romanized " by his uncle, Nicholas Sewall.
1 Col. Willi.im Fit,:hu:,i>. un J..r i..te of Sth June, i68i, wrote to the " Hon'ble Co!. Richard Lee." .At
the e.ui of Ki; letter he expp.ssc, ^nis w,.h : - I uh,!. y^u much j.y iu your younu' sou now and hereafter -•
{i<l. J/ji-ii.-:«<-, ttc, I, p, 41). '1 his son "/.O't-'-'Vc been I'hillp. b.' ..-., .,.■.,. , _. r, .;..,. t,
• •-.a
STRATFORD LINK, THIRD GENERATION. 97
Phili[) I.ee's will, dated the 20th of March, 1743, and recorded in
Charles county, the 1st of May, 1744, was as follows:
In the name of Cod Amen. I PFiilip Lee of Prince Geori^e's County in the Province
of .Miirylind Gentleman beinjr Sick .ind Weake in Body but of sound and perfect memory
Thanks be to .Mmii^lity God for the ?arae and Con.-^idering the uncertain State of Mankind
and thst it is appointed for ail men to die and reflecting that I am possessed of Sundry
Lands Tenements and herciiitaments Goods and Chattells by the Blessing of God Ahnighty
far beyond my deserts. I have thouglit Proper and Convenient to make this my Last Will
and Testament in tlie manner and forme following to wit : First, I give and bequeath my
Immortall Soul to the Omnipotent God that gave it Trusting Through his Great Merrits and
the Sufferings and Merrits of my Ix)rd and Saviour Jesus Christ Crusified on the Cross for
the Sins of All ^Lankind that my Sins of Commission and Omi.ssion will Receive Pardon at
the great Tribunal when Every man shall be Judged by his Faith and works.
Secondly, As to what Goods Chattells Lands Tenements &c. I am possessed of as be-
fore I give and Bequeath a^ followeth : But First my Desire is that all my Just Debts be paid
but as many pretenses and cL^iras may be exhibited against my Estate after my Decease not
really due from me 1 do hereby Direct and Order my Executor or Executrix or if more than
one Executor in all cases Except the Debt Appears as clear as the Sun at noonday to plead
the act of Asseml>!y of Limitation in barr of all such Claims. Secondly, I give to my Son
Richard Lee af'er his mother in Laws decease (to her I give During Life if she continues a
protestant) all that Tract of Land I bought of Thomas Smith, also that Tract of Land I
bought of Daniel Dulaney Esquire, on the Other Side the Great I'.rancli, provided
that he, the said Richard Lee, do make over the Tract of Land at Rock Creek of
500 acres left by his mother to .\rthur Lee, and on refusal to do so, Then I give to
.\rthur Lee the aforemeiiti 'ned Two Tracts of Land, after my present Wife's decease,
to him the said .\rthur Lee and his heirs Forever. Item, I give to my .Son Hancock Lee
my moiety of the Tract of Land I took up at Rock Creek called , The other half
I Give to Corbin Lee, to them and tiieir heirs forever. The Land so bequeathed Joyns on
part o'" • 500 acres Given i;iy first [wife] Sarah Lee, Deceased. Item, I give to my
Son Hancock Lee that plantation I lunight of- Widow Joseph and James Brooke with the ad-
dition I bought of James Bi< oke, to him and his heirs Forever. Item, I give to my Son Corbin
Lee 200 acres of Land, {)art of the Land Called Reboboth, Given nie by my hon'd father,
to Iiiui and his heirs Forever. Item, I give to my .Son John and George Lee and their heirs
forever 600 acres of I.^nd out of the Land Called Rehoboth, in N. West fork of Nanticoake
to be equally Divided between them. Item, I give to my Son Francis Lee and his heirs,
200 acres of Land, part of the Tract Called Reholjoth aforesaid. Item, I give to my Grand-
son riiilip Lee 200 acres of Lan.i, j.art of Rehoboth, to him and his heirs Forever. Item,
I give to my said Wife during her life, if she continues a Protestant, that Tract of Land
Called Ikirthope and the addition (T bought of Majr or Capt. Samuel Perry) for raising a
Stock for support of my younger Children. Item, I give to my Son George Lee and his
heirs forever that Tr.act or p.ircell of Land I Ixnight of John Ashmar Joyning on the Tract
left by my lion"d Father dece.x-ed. Called Lee's Purchase or Stump Dale, near Cedar point
on Potomack river. Item. I give to my .Son Richard and Thomas Lee and their heirs for
Ever, tohee'jually I)ivi<le'l betw-L-^n them, that Tract of Land in Glorcester County, Paradise,
the Reversion left me by my lieceased Father (Jol. Richard Lee, of Virginia. Item, I give
to my Beloved Wife during tiie term of 15 years if she continues [a widow ?] .an.l a Protest-
ant, all that Tract and parcell of Lund Called Lee's Purchase or Stump Dale, Whereon I
7
1 .. ■I'..,. -\ I
98 I.EE OF VIRGINIA.
have biii'it a fine Bake House and . . . mill in order to Carn' on the Baking and Gris Trade,
for the- Support of my Cliildren hereafter name during the said >pace and my Grandson [son
of] Philip Lee, Jun'r, Deceased, in trust for the use of the following Children v'tc, Amongst
whomc the Clear or neU proceeds is to be divided, the charges being first deducted, and my
Wife to have her one or two shares if she so pleases for her Trouble, the Children are Let-
ticie unless she marries well, Elizabeth, Alice, Hancock, Corbin, I'lhn, George and Mar-
garett, also my Grandson Philip Lee, son of Philip Lee Deceased, aforesaid. Item, My
Will is that for the Term of Ten years after said Fifteen the profits of the said Land, I mean
the Bake house and the Mill shall goe to the support of my Grand Children, now Born and
to be Born as descendant from Richard Lee, Francis Lee, Philip Lee, Thomas Lee and Arthur
Lee, the said Land to be in the occupation of my son Thomas Lee and George for the aforesaid
share they to be Accountable for the profits, taking to themselfs Each one share. Item, my
Will is that the remaining or remainder of the said Lands shall descend to my Son Thomas
& George Lee and their heirs for Ever, and the profits thereon arrising. Item, I Give unto
ray Beloved Daughter Flean.ir Lee five p..unilr, to buy her mourning which with what I Give
her by marriage Contract Shall be in full of her lilial portion. Item, I Give to my Daughter
Ann Russell five pounds to Buy her mourning which said five pounds with what I have
before Given her .shall be in full of her Fillial portion. Item, I Give to my Son Francis
Lee two negroes, v.-hich with what I have before Given him shall be in full of his Filial
portion. Item. I Give to my son Thomas two negroes with what I have before Given him
shall be in full of his Filial portion. Item, I Give to Each of my Grandchildren decendants
from Philip Lee Jun'r. I ate Son of Philip Lee, Each one young negroe Boys or Girls at the
discretion of my Ex'r. Item, I Give to my Grand Children, decended from Richard Lee,
my Eldest Son and his Wife Grace each one Small negro Girl.
Item, I Give to my Grand Son Philip Lee son of Philip Lee and Grace, my touted or
Scolloped montif. Itein, I Give to my Wife Elizabeth three negro men, three negro
Women, Vizt. Charles, Harry and Quicke, also Lettice, Agitha and Judith. Also I Give to
my Said Wife the Best Bed and furniture and all her apparell. I also Give to her the new
skreen, cost five Guineas, and her horse America Saddle and furniture, Twenty head of Cattell,
a tenth part of my hoggs, and sixth part of my Sheep also one eighth part of my household
furniture upon condition that she renounces her right and title to her thirds of my personal Es-
tate or Else the above devises to be void and of none effect. I Give to mv Daughter Potts
Wife of Will Potts th:ee n-cgroes two women, one man, vizt. Langress a lad, Phildo now a
large fiirl and Rose at Rock Creek. Iten\, I Give to my Daughter .-Mice Lee two negro
Girls vizt. Phillis and Prise. Item, I Crive to my Daughter Hannah Lee two negro Girls
vizt. Jane and Fido. Item, I give to my Daughter Peggy Lee one negro Girl named Venus.
Item, I Give to my Son ( leorge Lee one negro boy Ignatius. Item, I Give to my Son Corbin
one negro b-->y named Giles. Item, I Give to my Son Hancock Lee two negroes named
Quitchec and Nathaniel. I < ;ive to my Suu John Lee two negro boys vizt. Chesshire and
Charles. Item, I Give to my Daughter Lettice Lee one negro Girl named Clare. Item, I
Give to my Daughter Elizabeth Lee one negro ( jirl called Kate.
I Do order and Iiirect my Executors hereafter named not to suffer any part of my
Estate to be Divided untill two years after my death and I do nominate and appoint my
Loving Wife Eli.'.\beth Lee, and my .Son 'I'homas Lee to be my Executors of my Estate,
Given under my hand and Seal, as the Law Directs, this Twentieth day of March in the
year of our Irird Chri-t :<evcntecn hundr.-l r.nd Forty Three-four and I do hereby revoke
and make Null and Vnid M other Wills or Testaments or Codicils by me heretofore
made.
< '
,h- • j;. : ]U -i(;.;mw)
i ' i
1 VI'!
STRATKORP LINE, THIRD GENERATION. 99
There is considerable doubt as to the i)ropcr order in which the chil-
dren of Philip Lee should be placed; little assistance can be had from his
will. He named Richard as his eldest son ; also mentioned two of his
daughters as already married : Anne Russell and Potts, wife of William
Potts. It is said that her' name was Sarah, and she is so named here.
As the other daughters, Eleanor. Hannah, Lettice, Elizabeth, Alice, and
Margaret,- were mentioned b\- their maiden names, it is to be supposed they
were unmarried at date of will. .\ trust was made, to continue fifteen
years, for the support of the following named children : Lettice, Elizabeth,
Alice, Hancock, Corbin, John, George, and Margaret. This would imply
that they were tlie youngest children all under age at that date. At the
expiration of this tlfteen years, the same property was to be placed in trust
again, for the support of grandchildren, "now born or to be born," issue
of Richard, Francis, Philip, Thomas, and Arthur Lee; this would indicate
that these five were his oldest sons and already married or of a marriageable
age. It seems probable that the eight oldest children were by his first
wife. Hancock Lee, in 1759, mentioned Hannah, Lretitia, Corbin, Alice,
Margaret, John, and George as his brothers and sisters, evidently meaning
his full brothers and sisters. Guided by these statements, the children of
Philip Lee have been placed in tlie following order:
i, Richard \ See S. h^r,. ijcs-s
ii, Francis*, See q. -•: y.'-"-
iii, Philip*, See 10. • -■ u-s-
iv, Thomas*, See 11. ■->'
V, Arthur *, See 12. a
vi, Anne *, married James Russell, merchant of London.
vii, Sarah*, mentioned in her father's will as wife of \\'illiam Potts;
thev had issue, names unknown,
viii, Eleanor*, said to have married ^hilip-Riorhard- Fendall, and to have
died the 22d of April. 1759-^ There was a P. R. Fendall, Justice for
Charles county, in 1790, and also one residing at Alexandria, at same
date. They were probably father and son ; if so, the father married
this Eleanor, and the son was married twice ; first, to the widow of
Philip Ludwell Lee, and, secondly, to Mary, daughter of Henry and
Lucy (Grymes) Lee, of Prince William, by v/hom he had a son and a
daughter. ~. , .
ix, Hannah*, was twice married ; first to TTbiHel?) Bowie, and secondly,
to Joseph Sjjrigg, issue by both marriages. By her first husband, she
had, at least, one son, Daniel, as mentioned in her brother Hancock's
.(.1 1 . 1 1 •) :'>"*
;: ;i,t(i
- .' r^v /
•V ..' .V 'i.
lOO I.EE OK VIRGINIA.
v.ill ; she had also two daughters, one of whom married Thomas Belt,
then residing' at Hagerstown, Md.,and had issue. The other daughter,
Barbara Bowie, was born the 13th of November, 1756; died the 21st
of February, 1S05 ; married twice ; first to Hall, and had, at least,
Thomas Belt Hall, who left issue, and a daughter, Lxtitia Hall, who
married Stull, and had ten children. Barbara (Bowie) Hall married,
secondly, about 17S9, Major Ignatius Taylor (born the nth of Sep-
tember, 1742; died the 21st of September, 1807), of Hagerstown.
Md., she was his third wife; they had issue: Hannah Lee, Jane, and
Lucretia Taylor. Of these daughters. Hannah Lee, born the 9th of
January, 1791; died the nth of November, 1S32 ; married, on the
29th of October, 1S07, Gov. John Chambers, being his second wife;
they had twelve cliildren (see Chambers' Family).
Jane Taylor married Judge Samuel Treat, of Missouri, and left
issue. Lucretia Taylor married (i4tli of June, 1814) Arthur Fox. of
Mason county, Ky., and left twelve children. (Data from the will of
Ignatius Taylor, probated 31st December, 1S07, and the family Bible
of Gov. Chambers.)
After the death of (Daniel?) Bowie, Mrs. Hannah (Lee) Bowie
married, secondly, Joseph S}>rigg, and had issue: Joseph, Osborn,
Thomas, Corbin, \\'illiam Sprigg. The latter was Judge of the Supreme
Court of Ohio, then of the Territorial Court of Lidiana, and lastlv of
Illinois. After Hannah Lee's death, her husband married and had a
son, the Hon. Samuel Sjirigg. of Prince George's coimtv, Md. Mrs.
Charles Carroll, of Bellevue, was also one of their descendants.
X, Lettice*, said to have been married three times; first to James
AVardropp, of '•Amptliill." Chesterfield county, Va.; next to Dr. Adam
Thompson, and lastly to Col. Jose])h Sims. She had issue only b\- her
second husband, two daughters: Mary Lee Thompson, who married
Col. Williams, of Maryland ; and Alice Corbin Thompson, who mar-
ried Capt. John Hawkins, an officer in the Revolutionary armv, serving
with the Virginia troops, and had a daughter, Maria Love Hawkins
(i 789-1 S26), who married J. .\. W. Smith, a lawyer of Fau-juier county
(^Marshall Fuiiiiily. 89). There seems to be considerable doubt as to
the third marriage of Lettice Lee. In i 759, she was named as " Lnetitia
Wardropp;" in 1790, her nephew mentioned in his will a brooch left
him as a legacy by his ''Aunt Lettice Thompson," which would imjily
that she had died ihe wife of Mr. Thom[ison.
xi, Kl!Zai!F,th *," died the T9th of September, 1752, ajt. 22 years.
xii, Alice*, married twice; first, Thomas Clark, by whom she had a
•...K. !
f •i;iV;'U
I .;.';!
-, ;t
STRATFORD I, INF.. THIRD C; F.NF.RATION. ICI
daughter, \v!io married John Rogers, Chancellor of Maryland; blie was
mentioned as -'Alice Clark," in 1759, ^y ^i^-'^ brother Hancock Lee.
She married, secondly, alioiit 1760, Meriwether Smith; their son
George William Sniith, Governor of Virginia, was among the victims
burned in the old Richmond theatre, 26th December, iSii.
xiii, Hancock*, See 13.
xiv, JoHN^ See 14.
XV, CoRF.iN*; lived at "' The Adventure,' an estate of 1,000 acres, lying i-^^.'jVrr:^^^ JUrC^-rSi-nLe,
on the Great Falls of Gunpowder River, six miles from Joppa ; with a i^yv^n^.^^-Tho.-^'r^rr
large elegant brick house," etc. Was a meniber of the House of Bur- i' G^rps^^r^^r*\r: <c
gesses fiom Baltimore county, Md., in 1761 ; died between 27th of
November and the gtli of December, 1773. \Vife'_s name was Elinor.^ J.-,a .,, k.^,-. ?iic^s .UA^^^.^ix;^'.
. JNo issue. ^ ' ^ . , , .- ,
xvi, George*, See 15. '■' m^- :.Vo..vr,-^ju',^"i^ f.
xvii, Marc.aket*, called " ^largaret Symer," by lier l)rother Hancock Lee,
in 1759. Said to have had a daughter, who married Phenix and
left a son, Thomas Phenix.
THE CHAMBERS FAAHLY.
About 1720, Randle, or Rowland Chambers, of ScotchTrish descent,
emigrated from county Antrim to Pennsylvania, where he died in 1747-8,
leaving wite, Elizabeth, and cliildren, Josejjh, Benjamin, Johi;, Arthur,
James, and Robert. Of these sons, Benjamin was the most prominent,
having been well known throughout western Pennsylvania as '*Col. Ben."
Chambers ; with his brother Joseph he laid off and founded the town of
Chambersburg in 1764. His son. General Benjamin Chambers, .served
with distinction during tlie Revolution. James, next to the youngest son
of the Immigrant, married Sarah ; their grandson. Gov. John Cham-
bers, has stated that her name was Sarah Lee, and that she was nearly
related to Gov. Thomas Sim Lee. and to a Mr. I'otts, of Frederick, Md.
Unfortunately, this stateuunt has not been verified, and her ])arentage has
not been discovered. This James died the 13th of March, i 75S, leaving
wife, Sarah, and children. .\nn. Elizabeth, Roland, James. P.enjamin,
Joseph, and Sarah. Of these, Roland, born in 1744, settled in New Jerseys,
finally moved to Kentucky, where he (Jied in 1821, leaving several children,
among them Gov. Jijhn, who wa.-> l>orn at Bromley Ikidge, N. J., on the 6th
of October, 17S0, and died near Paris, Ky., on the 21st of September,
1S52 ; he was twice married ; fir>t, on the 16th of June, 1S03. to Margaret,
d.uigliter oi Major Ignatius 'l"ayU>r. of Hagerstown, Md., who was liorn the
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X02 LEE OI-' VIRCINIA.
22d of May, 1781, and died tlie 4th of March, 1S07, without surviving
issue; he married, secondly, on the 29th of (Jctober, 1807, Hannah T,ee,
a half sister of his first wife, and daughter of Major Ignatius Taylor, by his
third wife, as stated.
John Chambers studied law and was admitted to the bar in iSoo; in
i8i2 and 1S15 he was elected to the Kentucky legislature ; in 1S13 he
served as a volunteer aide-de-camp on staff of General William Henry
Harrison; in 1S27 was elected to Congress, but declined a renomination,
preferring to serve in the State legislature, 1S30-32. Was appointed Judge
of the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1S35, from which he resigned to take
his seat in the 24th Congress, where he served from 1S35 to 1S39; in
March, 1S41, President Harrison appointed him governor of the Territory
of Iowa, 1841-45. By his second wife, Gov. Chambers had twelve chil-
dren : Margaret Taylor, Joseph Sprigg, Hannah Lee, James, Matilda, Francis
Taylor, Jane. Mary, I. aura, John, James, Henry, and Lucretia. Of these
children, the eldest, Margaret Taylor, was born the 2d of December, iSoS;
died the 8th of July, 1S63 ; married, the 12th of September, 1826, Hugh
Innes Brent (born the 31st of August, 1S03 ; died the 2d of September,
1845), son of Hugh Brent and Elizabeth Trotter Langhome, his wife, of
Paris, Ky. They had issue (Brent) as follows:
-■ -k f. c ^, ,N 'xyT
i, Elizai:etii Langhok;l:, born the 27th of July, 1827; died the 9th of
September, 1S46; married, in June. 1S43, Dr. George Esten Cooke,
of Louisville, Ky.. son of Dr. John Esten and Lucy (Bcalej Cooke, uf
Lexington, Ky., and had two children, Hugh Innes Brent and John
Esten Cooke.
ii, John Cha.mhers, born the 15th of May, 1S29; died the 2d of March,
1877 ; married, the 25lh of October, 1S59, Lucy Bcale, of Ereder-
icksburg, Va., no issue; after his death his widow married Frederick
W. Page, of Charlott>ville, \'a.
iii, Hugh Innes, born 2isl of August, 1S32 ; died the 20th of March, i8:;2.
iv, Tho.mas VoiNv;. .Major C. S. A., born the 29th of December, 1S35 ;
was killed at the battle of (ireen River, Ky., the 4th of July, 1S63,
while commanding the 5th Kenturky Ca\alry ; he married, the 21st
of June, 1S60. .Mary Nb/ore, daughter of Capt. Charles Chilton and
Mary Harrison (SturK- ) Nbjure. of '• I'orest Retreat," layette county,
Ky., and left two children, Mary Chilt(jn (who married Prof. Charles
W. Dabneyj and .Margaret Thomas Brent, who is unmarried.
v, James Hknkv, b^rn'tlic nth of August, 1842; married, the i6th of
October, 1866, Eli/abelh Durrelt (a cousin), daughter of Francis T.
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STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. I03
CliarnbL'is ami Elizalicth Dmrett, his wife; they have issue: (iabriella
Darrctl, Margaret Cha;n1)crs, Mary Porter, Hugh Innes, Frances
Christine Brent. James Henry Brent has recently been Judge of the
Superior Court of Kentucky,
vi, Margarei' CiiAMF.ERS, born the 3d of January, 1S46; married, the iSth
of November, 1S6S, the Hon. William Hardia Mackoy, M. A., son
of John and Elizabeih Ciravit (Hardia) Mackoy, of Covington, Ky.
Mr. Mackoy »vas a member of the Kentucky Constitutional Conven-
tion of 1S90. They had issue: Daisy (born 25th and died 26th
February, 1S70); Lewis Dixon (born 17th May, 1S72), Heiu-)- Brent
(born loth July, 1S74), and Elizabeth Cary Mackoy (born 3d June,
1879). To the kindness oi Mrs. Mackoy most of these notes are due.
Brigadier-General Benjamin Chambers, who commanded the Maryland
Militia in 1S14 was of this family; his son, Ezekiel Forman Chambers, was
U. S. Senator, 1S26-34 and judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland,
1834-51. (Hanson's Old Kent, 192.)
"President" Thomas Lee. c. Sl
5. Thomas^, the fifth son of Richard Lee - (Richard ^) and Lstitia
Corbin, his wife, was born at '' Mt. Pleasant," in Westmoreland county, in
1690; died at "Stratford," in same county, on the 14th of November,
1750. Of his early days his son has written: '•' Thomas, the fourth son,
though v^'itii none but a common Virginia Education, yet having strong
natural parts, long after he was a man, he learned the Languages without
any assistance but his own genius, and became a tolerable adept in Greek
and Latin. . . . This Thomas, by his Industry and Parts, acquired a con-
siderable Fortr.ne; for, being a \ounger Brother, with many children, his
Paternal Estate was very Snaall. He was also appointed of the Council,
and though he had very few acquaintances in England, he was so well
known by re[)utation that upon his receiving a loss by tire, the late Queen
Caroline sent him over a bountiful present out of her own Privy Purse.
Upon the late Sir William Gooch's being recalled, who had been Governor
of Virginia, he became President and Commander in Chief over the Col-
ony, in which Station he continued for some lime, 'til the King thought
proper to apiKiint him (Governor of the Colony, but he dyed in 1750 be-
fore his commission got over to him."
That Thumas Lee possessed "strong natural parts" seems well at-
tested b\' the important positions confided to him during an epoch in which
the Colony was strong in men'of marked ability. Besides being for many
104 LEF OK VIRGINIA.
years a ineinhcr of the Iloii.^e uf lUiigcsscs, a meaiber of the Council and
later its president, he became after the death of John Robinson, on the ^th
of Septeml»er, 1749, the acting Governor of the Colony, and held that pobi-
liun initil his death. He served also ujjon various commissions for arranging
boundaries, fi->r niaking treaties with the Indians, and held other similar
positions of trust and responsibility.
In May, 174}. 'rhonias Lee and William P.everlcy were appointed by
the Governor his commissioners to treat v.'iih the Iroquois Indians for the
settlement of lands v.-est of the Alleghany Mountains. Governor Gooch
wrote: " \V!iereas of late some misunderstandings and differences have
arisen Ix'tween His Majesty's Subjects of this Dominion and the Si.x United
Nations of Indians, and l>eing induced by several Representatives and Mes-
sages interchanged, to believe that they are desirous to enter into Treaty
with this Governnient, Xic. iS:c. . . . Know Ye that I reposing special
Trust, li'c. in the e\['erience, Loyalty. Integrity and Abilities of Thomas
L-e Esc^r. a member in Ordinary of His Majestys lion'ble Council of
State, and one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Adjudication in this
Colony, and of William I'.e\erley Ks(]r. Col: and County Lieutenant of the
County of Orange and one of the Representatives of the People in the
House of Burgesses of this Colony and Dominion of \'irginia, &c., . .
Have, -S.C. nominated and Constituted the said Thomas Lee and William Rev-
erley Commissioners tisrc. to meet the Six Nations or such Sachems >;:v-c. as
shall be dejiuted to them. iS:c. ... at Newtown in Lancaster Co. Province
of Pennsylvania." (1, id- Calc7idar State Paptrs, 238.) -
William P.lack, a Scotchman, accompanied this commission as secre-
tary, and left a diary, in which he gave a very spirited account of their
journe}- from Stratford to Philadel[ihia. Mr. RIack wrote in part: '
"Thursday, .May the 17th (17.14). This Morning at 9 of the Clock,
in Company with the Hon'ble Commissioners, and the Gentlemen of their
Levees, Colonel John Taylor, Jun'r, Presley Thornton, Warren Lewis,
Philip Ludwell Lee, James Little[»age, and Robert Rrooke, Esquires, I
Embarked on Roard the Margaret Yacht lying off Stratford on Potomac,
and about 10 minuetes after, nas under sail with a small P.reeze of Wind at
S. W. One Jack I^nsign and Pennon Using, .\fter the \'essel had got
way, with the Tnnnpel ue hailed the Company (vvho came to the water-
side to see us on Board) with Eare-youuell, wliu returned the Complement,
wishing us a Good \'o\age and Safe Retmn, fur which, on the part of the
Company, I gave them Thanks with the discharge of our Blunderbuss. As
' Ft'nna. Ma^., I, 117, et stq.
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SIRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. I05
hirr as I could observe the Genilenien aiul Ladies on llie Sandy Bank, we had
full Sails, but on loosing ihe Sight of iheni. or on tlicir retiring, we lost our
Wind, which made me conclude, the Gentle Gale we had then was nothing
else but the tender Wishes of the AVomcn for their Husbands and the affec-
tionate Concern of tlie Mothers for thair Sons, Breath'd aftc- Us in Gentle
Sighs."
On reaching Annapolis, the next day, the festivities began: "The
Commissioners, &:c., went on Shoar, and was very Kindly Received at tlie
Landing I'lace, by several Gentlemen of Distinction of that Province, and
Conducted to the fnst 'ra\ern in Town, where the}' welcomed the Conr.nis-
sioners, and the Gentlemen of their Levee to Annapolis, with a Bowl of
Punch and a (ilass of Wine, and atlcrwards waited on us to the House of
the Llonourable Kdward Jennings, lOsq., Secretary of the Province, where
we Din'd very Sumptuously." . . . The next day they dined with the
Governor: "We wcie Received by bin Excellency and his Lady in the
Hall, where we were Entertained by them, with .son\e Glasses of I'unch in
the intervals of the Discourse ; then the Scene was chang'd to a Dining
Room, where you saw a plain proof of the Great I'lenty of the Country, a
Table in the most Splendent manner set out with Great Variety of Dishes,
all serv'd up in the most Elegant way, after which came a Dessert no less
Curious; Among the Rarities of which it was Compos'd was some fine Ice
Cream which, with the Strawberries and Milk, eat most Deliciously. After
this Repast was ovr, which (notwithstanding the great variety) show'd a
face of Ph:nty and Neatness, more than Luxury or Profuseness, We withdrew
to the Room in which wc was first Received, where the Glass was push'd
briskly round, sparkling with the Choicest Wines, of which the Table was
Replenished with \'ariety of Sorts."
On the 2ist, "At Night his Excellency the Governor and some other
Gentlemen, for the Entertainment of the Commissioners and the Gentlemen
of the Levee, gave a Ball in the Council Room, where most of the Ladies
of any Note in the Town was present, and made a very Splendent Appear-
ance. In a Room back from that where they Danc'd, was Several sorts of
Wines, Punch, and Sweet Meats ; in this Room, those that were not Engag'd
in any Dancing Match, might either Employ themselves at Cards, Dice,
Back-Gammon, or with a cheerfid Glass; the Commi.ssioners amus'd them-
selves till about 10 o'clock, anxl then went home to their Lodgings.
"The Ladies was so very Agreeable, and seem'd so Intent on Dancing
that one might have Imagin'd they had some Design on the \'irginians,
either Designing to make .Tryal of their Strength and Vigour, or to Con-
vince them of their Activity and Sprightliness. After several Smart Engage-
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iiients, ill wliich no Advamage on cither side was Observable, with a Mutual
Consent, about i ot" the clock in the morninLr, it was ai;reed to break up,
every (jeiulenian waiting on his Partner honie."
And so on; the journey being marked at each stopping place by these
receptions and entertainments, too numerous to give a full account of them.
After leaving Chester, tiiey were welcomed Ijy "Several Gentlemen of Phila-
delphia, who Received us very kindly, and Welcomed us into their Province
with a Mow] of fine Lemon Punch big enough to have Swinun'd half a dozen
of young Geese; after pouring four or five Glasses of this down our throats
we cross'd the River about two hundred yards o\'er, and riding three short
miles on the other side brought us into the sight of the famous City of
Philadelphia."
Mr. Black mentioned visiting a friend, in Philadelphia, who "Kept
Batchellor liouse, and Consequently had more Freedom, than when a Wife
and C'hildren is to lie Conformed to. I staid till after ir, and parted, he
making me Promises to be no Stranger while I staid in Town, of which
there wa-; no great fear, as he kept a Gla.ss of Good "Wine, and was as
free of it as an Apple-tree of its Fruit on a Wmdv Day in the month of
July."
Sunday, June 3d. After attending morning ser\'ice at Christ Church,
"Colonel 'J'aylor, Mr. Lewis, etc., of the Levee v.-ent to the Commissioners'
Lodgings, where we found Colonel Lee ready to go to Mr. Andrew Hamil-
ton's, where we were Invited to Dine this Day; about a Quarter after i
O'clock we had Dinner, and I do assure you a very fine one, but as I am
not able to draw up a Bill of P'are, I shall only say, that we had very near
18 Dish of Meat, besides a very nice Collation ; after this was over, it was
time tor to think of going to Church for Afternoon; accoidingly, most of
our young Company sviih uiy Self, went in order to Msit the Reverend Mr.
Gilbert 'Pennant, a Discipjle of the Great \Vliitefield, whose followers are
Call'd the New Lights; we found him Delivering his Doctrine with a very
Good Grace, Split his 'IVxt as Judiciously, turn'd up the Whites of his Eyes
as Theologically, Cuff'd his Cushion as Orthodoxic, and twist'd his Band
as Primitively as his .\Li.-.tcr Whitefield could have done, had he been there
himself."
Tlie corifereiices with the Lidians were begun at Lancaster, the 2 2d
June, 1744. .\ record o( the nieeting states that wine and punch, as well as
the customary pipe, were handed around. After the Indians had partaken,
the conterence was opened by a speech from the governor of Pennsylvania.
During these conferences, one of the Indian chiefs (shuwing they were
not behind their pale face brother in liking •• the fire water " ) said : •' \'ou
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STRATKORT) LINE, THIRD GENERATION. I07
tell US you teat the French, if so, you must have taken a great deal of Rum
from them, and can better spare us some of that Liquor to make us rejoice
with you in tlie \'ictory." "The Crovernor and Commissioners ordered a
Dram of Rum to be given to each in a small Glass, calling it, A French
GLissy I'he next day the Indians demanded more of the rum, this time
in large English Glasses. •' I'lie Indians gave, in their Order, five Yo-bahs ;
and the honorable Governor and Commissioners calling for some Rum and
some middle sized \Vine Glasses, drank Health to the Great King of Eng-
land and the Six Nations and put an end to the Treaty by three loud Huz/as,
in which all the Company joined."
Mr. Whitham Marshe, secretary for the Maryland Commissioners,
wrote an account of these conferences (at Lancaster on the ^Sth of June,
17.-I4), stating: " The Commissioners of Virginia had a private treaty with
the Chiefs, in the Court house, and Col. Lee made them a speech, which see
in printed Treaty fol. 20, 21, 22." An account of the proceedings and
the treaty were printed by Benjamin Franklin, Philadel[jhia, 1744; from
which rare work the following copy of Thomas Lee's address has been
taken :
The Commissioners of Virginia desired the Interpreter to let the In-
dians know that their Brother Assaragoa was now going to give his Reply
to their answer to his first Speech, delivered the day before ii:i the forenoon.
" Sachims and ^Varriors of the Six L^nited Nations,
'•' We are now come to answer what you said to us Yesterday, since what
we said to you liefore on the Part of the Great King, our Father, has not
been Satisfactory. You have gone into old Times, and so must we. It is
true that the irreat King holds Virginia by Right of Conquest, and the
Bounds of that Conijuest to the Westward is the Great Sea.
" If the Six Nations have made any Conquests over Indians that may at
any Time have lived on the AVest-side of the Great Mountains of Virginia,
yet they never possessed an}' Lands there that we ever heard of. That Part
was altogether deserted, and free for any People to enter upon, as the Peo-
ple of Virginia have done, by Order of the Great King, very justly, as well
as by an ancient Right, and by its being freed from the Possession of any
other, and from any Claim even of you the Six Nations, our Brethren, until
within these eight Years. The first Treaty between the Great King, in be-
half of his Subjects of \'irginia, and you, that we can find, was made at
Albany by Col. Henry Courscy, Seventy Years since; this was a Treaty of
Friendshij) when the first Covenant Chain was made, when we and you
became Brethren. ' '•
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" The next Treaty was also made at Alliany, about fifty-eight Years ago,
by the Lord Howard, (iovenior of \'irginia; then }OU declared yourselves
Subjects to the Crreat King, our Father, and gave up to him all your Lands
for his Protection. Tiiis you own in a Treaty made by the Governor of
New York with you at the sauie Place, in the Year 16S7, and you express
yourselves in these Words:
'* ' P)rethren, you tell us the King of England is a very Great King and
why should not you join with us in a very just Cause, when the French join
with our Enemies in an unjust Cause? O, Ijrethren, we see the Reason of
this; for the French would tain kill us all and when that is done, they
would Carry all the Bea\er ']>ade to Canada, and the Great King of Eng-
land would lose the L-aiid likewise; and therefore, O, Great Sachim,
beyond the Great Fakes, awake, and suffer not those poor Indians, that
have given themselves and their Lands under your Protection, to be de-
stroyed by the French witlioul a Cause.'
" The last Treaty we shall speak to you about is that made at Albany by
Governor Spotswood, which you have not recited as it is; For the white
People, your iUethren of \'irginia, are in no Article of that Treaty pro-
hibited to pass and settle to the Westward of the Great Mountains. It is
the Indians, tributary to A'irglnia, that are restrained, as you and \our
triliutary Indians are from passing to the Eastward of the same Mountains,
or to the Southward of the Cohongorooton, and you agree to this .\rticle
in these Words: 'That tlie Great River of Potowmack and the high
Ridge of Mountains, which extend all along the Frontiers of Yirginia to
the Westwartl of the present Settlements of that Colony, shall be for ever
the established Boundaries between the Indians sul)ject to the Dominion of
Yirginia, and tb.e Lulians belonging and depending on the Five Nations;
so that neitlier our Indians shall not, on any Pretence whatsoever, pass to
the Northward or Westward of the said Boundaries, without having to pro-
duce a I'assport under the Hand and Seal of the Governor or Commander in-
chief of Virginia; nor your Indians to pass to the Southward or Eastward
of said P>oundaries, without a Passport in like Manner from the Governor
or Comuiaiider-in-chief of New York.'
" .\nd what Right can you have to Lands that you have no Right to walk
upon, but n[iun certain Conditions? It is true, you have not observed this
part of the Tre;ity, and your Brethren of \'irginia have not insisted u{)on
it with a due strictness, which has occasioned some Mischief.
" This Treaty has been sent to the Governor of \'irginia by Order of the
Great King, and is what we must rely upon, and being in Writing is more-
certain than your .Memory. That is the Way the white People have of
. , 1 ; r i ! ■ 1 1 1
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STRATFORD MNE, THIRD GENERATION. IO9
preserving I'ransactions of every Kind, and transmitting them down to
their Childrens Children for ever, and all iJisputes among them are settled
by this faithful kind of f'^-idence, and must l)e the Rule l)et\veen the Great
King and you. This Treaty you Sachims and ^^'arriors signed some years
after the same Governor Spotswood, in the Right of the Great King, had
been, with some People of Virginia, in possession of these very Lands,
which you have set up your late Claim to. . . .
" Brethren, This Dispute is not between Virginia and you; it is setting
up your Right against the Great King, under whose Grants the People you
complain of, arc settled. Nothing but a Command from the Great King
can remove them ; they are too powerful to be removed by any Force of
you, our P.rethren ; and the Great King, as our common Father, will do
equal Justice to all his children ; wherefore we do believe they will be con-
firmed in their Possessions.
''As to the Road you mention, we intended to prevent any Occasion for
if, liy making j)eace between you and the Southern Indians, a few years
since, at a consideral>le Expense to the Great King, v/hich you confirmed at
Albany. It seems by your being at War with the Catawbas that it has not
been long kejjt by you. However, if you desire a Road, we v/ill agree u{)on
the Terms of the Treaty made with Col. Spotswood, and your People, be-
having themselves orderly like Friends and Brethren, shall be used in their
Passage through \'irginia with the same Kindness as they are when they
pass through the I,ands of your Brother Onas. This, we hope, will be
agreed to by you, our Brethren, and we will abide by the Promise made to
you Yesterday.
" We may proceed to settle what we are to give you for any Right you
may have, or have had, to all tlie Lands to the Southward and Westward of
the Lands of your Brother, the Governor of Maryland, and of your Brother
Onas; Tho* we are informed that the Southern Indians claim these very
Lands that you do. We are desirous to live with you, our Brethren, accord-
ing to the old Chain of Friendship, to settle all these Matters fairly, and
honestly; and, as a Pledge of our Sincerity, we give you this Belt of Wam-
pum."
Which was received with the usual Ceremony.
As a result of this conference, a treaty was made by which the Indians,
in consideration of ^/T4oo paid and a promise of further payments, granted
the Virginians the right to settle the land west of the mountains to the Ohio
River. The two following letters tVom Thomas Lee, then acting as Gov-
ernor of the Colony, to C^o^•ernor Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, are in rela-
tion to the settling of these lands: •
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no V LEE OF VIRGINIA.
"Stratford, 2 2d November 1749.
"Sir,
." I had the Pleasure to congratulate You on your arrival to your Gov-
ernment by the Fa\ our of my Friend Mr. Strettell ; I had great satisfaction
when I heard of your. being advanced to that Honourable Station, because I
had a very great Esteem for You ever since I had the Honour to know You.
" Upon Sr. William Gooch's leaving this Colony the Government here
has devolved upon me as eldest Councellor, and I hope the good Agree-
ment that will subsist between us will be of service to both Governments.
" I am sorry that so soon I am obliged to complain to You of the in-
siduous behaviour, as I am informed, of some traders from your Province,
tending to disturb the Peace of this Colony and to alienate the Affections
of the Indians from Us.
" His Maje.>ty hns been graciously pleased to grant to some Gentlemen
and Merchants of London and some of both sorts of this Colony, a large
Quantity of Land West of the Mountains, the design of this Grant and one
condition of it is to Erect and Garrison a Fort to protect our trade (from
the French) and that of the neighboring Colonies, and by fair open Trade
to engage the Indians in Afiection to his Majestie's Subjects to supply them
with what they want so that they will be under no necessity to aj>ply to the
French, and to make a very strong Settlement on the Frontiers of this
Colony, all which his Majesty has approved and directed his Governor here
to assist the said Companv in carrying their laudal)le design into Execu-
tion : but your Traders have prevailed v/ith the Indians on the Ohio to be-
lieve that the Fort is to be a bridle for them, and that the roads which the
Company are to make is to let in the Catawbas upon them to destroy them,
and the Indians naturally jealous arc so possessed with the truth of these in-
sinuations that they threaten our Agents if they survey or make those roads
that they have given leave to make, and by this the carrying the King's
Grant into execution i> at present impracticable. Yet these are the Eands
purchased of the Six Nations by tb.c Treaty of Lancaster.
"I need not say any more to prevail with you to take the necessary
means to put a stop to these mischievous practices of those Traders. We
are informed that there is Measures designed by the Court of France that
will l.)e mischievous to these Colonys which will in Prudence oblige L's to
unite and not divide the Interest of the King's Subjects on the Continent.
I am with Esteem \' Ilespect,'' &:c.
"Stratford, 20th December, 1749. Sir, Since the Letter I had the
Pleasure to write You I have' found it neccssarv to write to the Lords ot the
•;, I
>rs?
'.|ji., iir>.-,-;;ii J;. -■!
SIRATFORP LINE, THIRD GENERATION. Ill
Treasury desiring their Lordships to obtain the King's Order for running
tlie dividing Line bot^\•i.\t this Colony and Yours, else many difficultys will
arise upon the seating the Large Grants to the Westward of the Mountains.
In the case of the l-'arl of Granville and Lord Fairfax this method was
taken and Commissioners appointed \>y his Majesty and those noble Lords.
I thought it proper to aquaint you with this Step that there might be no
Surprize and that a matter of such Consequence may meet with as little
Delay as the Nature of it will admit. I am with all possible Esteem," &:c.
The grant referred to was that of 500,000 acres situated in the present
counties of Jefferson aiid Columbiana in Ohio, and in Brooke county, West
Virginia. This was probably the first effort of the English to settle any of
the territory " Westward of the Mountains." It is said that Thomas Lee
was the originator of the project ; ' he was certainly the first president of the
company ; at his death, he was succeeded by Lawrence Washington.
The " order of the Committee of the Council, referring to the Lords
of Trade, the petition of John Hanbury et als, incorporators of the Ohio
Company, 9 Febr. t;.^", B. T. Va. vol. 20," reads:
Whereas His Majesty was pleased by His Order in Council of the ilth of last month
to referr unto this Committee tlie humble Petition of John Hanbury of London, Merchant, in
behalf of himself and of Thomas Lee Esq. a Member of His Majesty's Council and one of
the Judges of the Supreme Court of Judicature in His Majesty's Colony of Virginia, Thomas
Nelson Esqr. also a Member ot His Majesty's Council in ^"irginia, Colonel Cressup, Colonel
William Thornton, William Nimmo, Daniel Cressup, John Carlisle, Lawrence Washington,
Augustus Washington, George Fairfax, Jacob Gyles, Nathaniel Chapman and James Wood-
rop Esq''«% all of His Majesty's Colony of Virginia and others for settling the Country upon
the Ohio and extending the British Trade beyond the Mountains on the Western confines of
Virginia, \c. (See 0/:io I'ti.Vcy in Colonial Days, by Berthold Fcrnow, Albany, 1S90.)
The Ohio Company sent out, as their agent, one Christopher Gist, who
established his first trading post not far from the site of the present city of
Pittsburg. He was the ilrst Englishman to settle beyond the Allegheny
Mountains.
Though Thomas l,ee may have been a person of some influence in his
day, he is known rather for his many distinguished sons than for his own
individual merit. For it has seldom fallen to the lot of any man to rear
six sons who took an active and patriotic part in the service of their coun-
try, at least four of whom were distinguished for their unselfish patriotism
during the Revolutionary struggle. Of these sons Mr. Campbell has written : -'
' " Mr. Thomas Lcp, president of the Council of Va., took the lead in the concerns of the company at
the oiitAet, and by m.iny h.is hern consicjered its founder." (Irving, Life c/ U'azkinstan , 1, 46.)
- Introduction to the History r/ {-a., 1847.
.[■Al
Af. ;: y.'y.
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112 I.F;E of VIRCINIA.
"As Westmoreland, ih&h- ii.itive county, is distini^nished above all
others in Vir-inia as the birthplace of genius, so perhaijs no other Virginian
could boast of so many distiir^uisVied sons as rresidentl.ee."
President John Adanis (who was not usually lavish in h's {iraise of any
one) wrote in after years to Richard Bland Lee:
" QuiNCY, II Auj^nist, 1819.
"I thank you for your oration on the red-letter day in our national
calendar, which I have read with minLjled emotions. An invisible spirit
seemed to suggest to me. in my left car, 'Nil admirari, iiil contemnere;'
another spirit, at my right elliow, seemed to whisper in my ear, ' Digito
compesce labellum.' I'.ut 1 will open my lips, and \siil say that your
modesty and delicacy have restrained you from doing justice to your ov.-n
name, that band of brothers, intrepid and unchangeable, who, like the
Greeks at Thermo[.yla?, stt).>d in the gap, in the defence of their country,
from the first glimmering of the Revolution in the horizon, through all its
rising light, to its perfect day.
" Thomas [Ludwell] l.'-e. on whose ] -raises Chancellor ^V'ylhe delighted
to dwell, who has often said to me that Thonris Ree was the most popular
m.an in Virginia, and the delight of the eycs of every \'irginian, but wlio
would not engage in public life; Richard Henry Lee. whose merits are bet-
ter known and acku'jwleiigcd, and need no illustration P'om me ; Lraricis
Lightfoot Lee, a man of gie;it reading well linderstood, of sound judg-
ment, and inflexible perseverar.ee in the cau>e of his comitr\' ; William Lee,
who abandoned an advantageous establishment in l-mgland from attachment
to his countrv, and was able and faithful in lier service ; Arthur Lee, a man
of whom I ciunot think witi'.out emotion ; a man too early in the service
of his couiitrv to avoid Uiakin'i a mulupiii itv o( enemies; too honest, u'p-
right, faithful, and intrepid to be popular ; too often obliged by his princi-
ples and feelings to opjio^e Machiavellian intrigues, to avoid the destiny he
suffered, 'i'his man never hini justice done him by his country in his life-
time, and I fear he never will have by posterity. His reward cannot be in
this world." (Z{/i' a/iJ li't'r^-s of John Adams, X, 382.)
Thomas Lee was married, in May. 172^. to Hannah, second daughter of
Colonel Pliiliii Ludwell, of (■rrc-ens])ring, James City county, an associate of
the Council. She\'i.is bcrn at " Rich .Neck." in Hruton p.uish, James City
county, the ^lii o\ December, 1701 ; difd at Stratford, 25th of January,
1749, and was buried in the o\A family bur\!iig ground, called the " Rurnt
House Lields," at Mt. Plr,, .uit. Her tuuiiiiitwne is no'.\' to be seen at
I : !0.'U!
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,^.«^f«^(EWes|g'>fB(5i
MRS. THOMAS LEE.
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STRATFORD LINE, THIRD (lEN'ERATlON. H^
Stratford, whithei it was removed for preservation, j)rol)ably by General
Henry Lee, who built the new vault at that place. The following is a copy
of a bond given by Thomas Lee on the eve of his marriage. The original
bond is in his writing :
Know all men by these presents that Thomas Lee of Westmoreland County in Vir-
ginia, Gentleman, and FVancis Ijghtfoot of Charles Citty County, Gentleman, doe owe and
stand indebted to Philip Ludwell of Greenspring in James Citty County in Virginia, Esq.,
in the Sum of twelve hundred pounds of Lawfull money of England to the payment whereof
well and truely to be made to the said Philip, his Execut"s, Administrators nr Certain
Attorney at Greenspring upon demand, we bind ourselves and either of us, our and either of
our heirs, Execut's and Administrators, jointly and Severally firmly by these presents
sealed with our Seals and dated this twenty third day of May, Anno Domini one thousand
Seven hundred and Twenty two.
The Condition of this Obligation is such that whereas a Marriage is intended to be
had and Solemnized betwixt the .A.bove bound Thomas Lee and Hannah, the Daughcer of the
above said Philip, with whome the said Thomas is to have and receive in Marriage six
hundred pounds sterling money of England which was given to her by Philip Ludwell and
Benjamin Harrison, Esqrs. her grandfathers: now if the said Marriage shall be had and
Solemnized and the said six hundred pounds sterling shall be paid to the said Thomas and
he sh.ill depart this life leaving the said Hannah Surviving, then in that Case if the heirs,
Execut's or Administrators of the said Thomas or one of them shall pay and deliver to the
said Hannah upon Demand the Sum of six hundred pounds of guod and Lawfull money of
England or Such part of the Estate of the said Thomas as the Law appoints for Widows
dowers, which she the said Hannah shall Choose which Choice shall be made within one
Month after such decease, if thereunto required and not sooner, then this obligation to be
void otherwise to remain in full force. Signed (Jvc.
In this bond it is stated that the marriage " is intended to be had,"
but evidently had not then been solemnized ; in his receipt for the -/'600,
he mentioned "Hannah my wife." So it would seem evident that the
marriage took place at Greenspring between the 23d and the 3cth of May.
Virg'a Greenspring May ye 30th, 1722. Received of Philip Ludwell Esq'r. one set of
bills of Exchange drawn by him on Mr. Micajah Perry, merch't in London for Six hundred
pounds payable to me which is in full payment (when paid) of one Legacy of one hundred
pounds given by Benja: Harrison Esq'r to Hannah my wife and also of five hundred pounds
sterl: given to my s'd wife by the last will of Philip Ludwell Esq'r her grandfather and I do
hcreVjy Requit ye first named Philip the father of my wife from ye same and every part thereof
Witness my hand the day and vear above written. ■,
The following letter, evidently written to Philip Ludwell, is interesting;
this copy is from the original ; part of the date is torn :
" Colo. Tavloes 16 Aug. 172-.
** Hon'' Sir, I lately rec'ji a letter from Mr. Robertson to send ^^rs.
Drysdale what was due from the ships and clerks to the late Governor and by
5.ral'. . ,t 1
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114 ^^-^ ^^ VIRGINIA.
my Unkle T. Corbin I liave sent her hills for the ship dues iho' I Have not
rec'd them, because they are under my collection as Naval olT'r; but what
is due from tn.e clerks I cou'd not pay. because they have not sent mee an
acc't what is due, tho' I hnve wrote them Mrs. Drysdales desire and the neces-
sity of their speedy Answer upon the occasion of her Going for P^ngland.
Mr. Cocke indeed writes nice he is out of cash not Expect'g to be called on,
until! October and I don't think it safe to pay money for the clerks before
I receive it. 1 suppose tiie Gov'r made a will soe yt. Mrs. Drysdales rents
will be good for the money I pay.
"The lower hous of Assembly purs't to the Cover' of Maryl'ds speech
(here inclosed) did pass a bill to lessen the q'ty of Tob: but clogg'd soe y't
the Council cou'd not ])ass it without amendments, which would not goe
down with them below. Tlien the Coun'l prepared and pas'd a bill to prevent
the tending seconds and resvuiating the time of ship'g Tob: w'ch the lower
hous threw out upon once reading. Tliis last draft is to be sent over to the
councel here, and soe all their projects for to mend the Tob: trade are come
to nothing. The dry weather has done great hurt both there and here to the
crops especially of Corn.
''I hope this will find ye all in good health, my wife writes to JVfad'm
Ludwell, whom 1 pray Give my duty and accept it yourself very heartily
presented by Dear Sir. Y'r m.osi Obed't dutyfull son and ser't."
Where 'i'homas Lee lived during the first years of his married life is a
matter of sou^ie doubt. It seems most probable that his first home was at
" Mt. Pleasant," and that tlie loss by fire, uf which his son William wrote,
was the destruction of that mansion. It is certain that the house at " Mt.
Pleasant " uas burned early in tlie last centur\-, but there is no evidence of
a fire ever having occurred at Stratford. If (\)ueen Caroline gave Thomas
Lee a " bountiful present out of her own privy purse," while she was Queen,
she must have given it between 1727 and 1737, as she became a Queen in
the former year and died in the latter. As Princess of ^Vales, she would
hardly have possessed sufficient means to make a large present. It seems,
therefore, highly probable that the Stratford house was erected about 1725—
30, hardly later, as it is said that all of Thomas Lee's sons were born in
that mansion.
An old mansion has been declared to be a history in itself; its rooms
being the chii)ters ; its stories, volumes; its turniture, illustrations, and its
inmates the characters. Such a mansion is certainly an illustration of the
customs, habits, and mode of life of the period in which it was built and
inhabited. .\nd this thouglu seems to be applicable to Stratford for many
•.!.i'^;''f!
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ON',' ■ 'i
STRATFORLi LINE, THIRD CENERATION. H5
reasons. Since it was erected u[)on the banks of the historic Potomac,
American history has been made, and some prominent actors in that history
were born under its roof. .At the time of its building, the American Colo-
nies were few in number, and weak in strength, hardly able to defend their
homes from the marauding Indian. Spotswood and his daring followers
had only recently crossed " the Great Mountains," and looked upon the
beautiful valley of Virginia. The imagination of to-day can hardly realize
that there was ever a time when such a trip could be considered a daring
venture, and the suggestion of such an idea seems a joke. -'Early in his
administration," writes Howe, '-'Spotswood, at the head of a troop of horse,
effected a passage over the lilue Ridge, which had previously been consid-
ered an im]ieneirable barrier to the ambition of the whites, and discovered
the beautiful valley which lies beyond. In commemoration of this event,
he received from the king the honor of knighthood, and was presented with
a miniature golden horse-shoe, on which was inscribed the motto, Sic jurat
transcendere monies — Thus he swears to cross the mountains." Since that
time a new nation has been l)orn and grown to manhood ; from infantile
dimensions, a narrow strip of inhabited land, hugging the Atlantic as if
afraid to loosen its hold on the mother country, its habitations have extended
from ocean to ocean, from the great lakes to the gulf. The war of the
Revolution, with its heroes and patriots, has come and gone. All these
changes has Stratford witnessed, yet it remains to-day solid and strong, a
monument of the past age in which it was erected, and had it no other
claim to distinction, it might surely rank as one of America's historic man-
sions. But it possesses much greater claims than mere age ; as the birth-
place of tv.-o signers of the Declaration of Independence, and of two others
who represented their country at the courts of Europe, during the earlier
years of that struggle, it is hallowed by memories which no other mansion
in America can share. There, too, on the 19th of January, 1S07, was born
Robert Edward Tee, an event well worthy of being the last act in the great
drama, of which Stratford has been the stage.
Bishop Meade wrote many years ago: "Some mournful thoughts will
force themselves upon us v.hen considering the ruins of churches, of man-
sions, and of cemeteries, in Westmoreland. By reason of the worth, talents,
and patriotism which once adorned it, it was called the Athens of Virginia.
But how few of the descendants of those v/ho once were its ornaments are
now to be found in it? Chantilly, Mt. Pleasant, Wakefield are no more.
Stratford alone remains. Where now are the venerable churches? Pope's
Creek, Round Hill, Xomini, Leeds, where are they? Yeocomico only
survives the general wreck. Of old men, mansions, churches, etc., we are
rihr^.
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Il6 LF.E OK VIR(;iNIA.
tempted to sav, ' Fuit Ilium, et ingens .doria Dardaniduni.' " (^0!d Churches,
Families, etc. , II , 171.)
Stratford house, witli its solid walls and massive, rough hewn limbers,
seems rather to represent strength and solidity than elegance or comfort.
Its large rooms, with numerous doors and windows, heated only by the
large open fireplaces, would to-day scarcely be considered habitable. Nor
would the modern housewife care to have her kitcb.en placed out in the yard
some fifty or sixty feet from her dining room. The house was built in the
shape of the letter H, the cross line being a large hall room of some twenty-
five by thirty feet, serving as the connecting link between the two wings;
these wings are about thirty feet wide by sixty deep. The house contains
some eighteen large rooms, exclusive of the hall. The view given here
represents the rear, the small stairway leads up to the rear door of the hall
room. The room to the right, as one faces the picture, is the l»ed room in
which tradition states that Richard Henry Lee and his brothers were born ;
also, General P>.obert E. I.ec. The hall room was, in those days, used as
the library and general sitting room. esi)eciaUy in summer, being large,
airy, well lighted and ventilated. The ceiling is very high, dome shaped,
the walls are panelled in oak, with book cases set in them ;. back and front
are doors, leading into the garden, Hanked on either side by windows, as
shown in the illustration. On the other two sides of this hall, between the
book cases, are two doors, opening into the wings. Outside, at the four
corners of the house, are four out-houses, used as storehovises, ofnce, kitchen,
and such like purposes. .At the corner of the house, to the right of the
picture given here, but too far off to be seen, was the kitchen, with its
immense fireplace, which by actual measurement was found to be twelve
feet wide, six high, and five deep, evidently capable of roasting a fair-sized
ox. Lying on the grass, there is seen a large, old fashioned shell or cannon
ball, which tradition says was once fired at the house by an English w^ar-
ship. In recent years it has served the more useful purpose of a hitchin"-
block for horses.
The portions of the stable yet remaining show it to have been very
large ; the kitchen garden was surrounded by the usual brick wall, much
remaining at the present time. At the foot of the kitchen garden are the
remains of the large brick burial vault, of which Bishop Meade wrote:
" I have been assured by Mrs. Eliza Turner, who was there at the time,
that it was built by General Henry Lee. The cemetery [vault] is much
larger than any other in th ^ Xcrthern Xcck, consisting of several apartments
or alcoves for different branches of the family. Instead of an arch over
them there is a brick house, perhaps twenty teet square, covered in. A floor
* ;■ .T^o:7 '"^
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> 5^^
>
♦^ ^
STRATIORD I. INF., THIRD flENERATIOX.
"7
covers the cemetery. In tlie centre is a trap door, through which you
descend l)y ? ladder to the apartments below." This brick house having
fallen into ruin, a late proprietor of Stratford had it torn down and the
bricks heaped up into a nioimd, which, covered with earth and surmounted
by the tombstone of Thomas I.ee, would serve as a fitting mark for the un-
known dead rejiosing underneath.
Thomas I.ee Shippen, a grandson of Thomas Lee, visited Stratford in
1790, and wro-c his father these interesting letters, telling of his trip and
giving his impressions of the places he visited :
"Alexandria. 15 Sei>t ., 1790. My dear Sir, I arrived here late at
night before yesterday, and yesterday I was so engrossed by the Lees, who
abound here, th it I could not find time to write to you. My journey was
a delightful one from Chestertown to Georgetown, whether spoken of for
the e.vcelience of the society, my fare, the wealher, or the roads. For I
overtook, as I told you 1 expected I should, my two valuable friends Messrs.
Jeflerson and Madison. At Rock Hall, 12 miles from Chcstertown, we
waited all that day for want of a vessel to take us over, and I never knew
two men more agreeable than they were. We talked and dined and strolled
and rowed ourselves in boats, and feasted on delicious crabs. A six hours
passage o\er tlie luiy for us. and one of eighteen for mv poor Baptist. I
had made him go with my horses and carriage in a different boat from that
we went in, as there was not ruom for all, and, wonderful to tell, although
at one time ihey had got before us on the passage, we arrived 12 hours be-
fore them. . . . Dined at Georgetown, and at quarter past seven at night I
left my companions, who accompanied me in the boat to this side of the
Potomac; they returned to Georgetown, and I came on to .\lexandria, eight
miles; I tra\e!!ed in the night, a new road, but arrived without anv adverse
accident, at a little after eight, at my Uncle's house on the banks. My
hor.ses pertbrmed wonders, my carriage is delightful.
" Yesterda}-. I passed at Ludwell's seat, a mile trom Alexandria, with
my L'ncle Fendall, Flora, Ludwell and Molly of Chantilly. The place is
called Shuter's Hill, and is infinitely handsomer than the one in England of
that name. The house is handsome and s[)acious. Today they dine with
us. Tomorrow I pass at Mt. Vernon, and on the day after hope to set off on
my tour. My Uncle accompanies me throughout the whole of it. Had I
room I would tell you our plans, but 1 will write again soon, and tell you all.
My love to all my t'riends, my dear Mamma and yourself in particular."
(It may be well to explain some points in this letter. The Chester-
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IlS LEE OI' VIRdNIA.
town mentioned was in Maryland ; to reach Washington, in those days,
one drove to Cliestertown, took a boat to Annapolis, and then drove on to
Washington. The inicle mentioned as his host and his companion on his
tour, was probably Arthur I.ee, as he then lived in Alexandria and on the
''banks" of the Potomac. Ludwell and Molly were children of Richard
Henry J.ee ; Flora v,-as wife of Ludwell and daughter of Philip Ludwell
Lee, whose widow had married the Mr. Kendall mentioned.)
''Mount Vernon, i6 Sept., 1790. My dear Father and Friend, This
is to be sure a delightful place. Nothing seems wanting to render it the fit
residence of its ou-ner, worthy to employ and amuse the leisure of so great
a man as our President.
"I have been here two days, and have seen most of the improvements
which do honour at once to the taste and industry of our Washington. I
have been treated a^ usual with every most distinguished mark of kindness
and attention. Hospitality indeed seems to have spread over the whole
place its happiest, kindest influence. The President exercises it in a super-
lative degree, from the greatest of its duties to the most trifling minutia;,
and Mrs. Washington is the very essence of kindness. Her soul seems to
overflow with it like the most abundant fountain and her happiness is in
exact proportion to the number of objects upon which she can dispense her
benefits. I have some difficulty in leaving them so soon.
"But I must leave them to talk of the Lees; you know my partiality
and attachment to them too well to be surprised at my passing my time at
Alexandria most happily. They are everything I could wish. My cousin
Flora, who is to be sure a most amiable sweet cousin, has just given us an-
other image of herself in a little daughter. Nancy of Chantilly [daughter
of R. H. Lee] is married to Cliaiics Lee, has her father's sense and her
mother's beauty. Molly [also datighter of R. IL Lee] is like her father and
only wants affability to make her engaging. Lucinda of Rellevue [daughter
of Thomas Ludwell Lee] has her brother Tom's sprightliness and is a charm-
ing girl.
" I dine with them all tomorrow at Charles Lee's, and in the evening go
as far as Col. >L-ison's [Gusrstnn Hall, on the Potomac, just below Mt. Ver-
non]. Our mode of travelling is as follows. Uncle and Nephew in Uncle's
phaeton ; John the Paptist in Jones' sulky, and Philip the African on horse
back with the portmantea-u. We go from Col. >Lison's to Richland, Mrs.
Thomas Lee's [the wiilow] seat, tlicnce to Bellevue, the seat of Mr. Thos. L.
Lee; to Chatham, u> Man>ficld. the former the seat of Mr. Fitzhu^di, the
latter of Mr. Mann i'agc ; to Chantilly. to Nomini, to Manokin, to Rich-
1 1 ./ .•.-.'
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STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. IIQ
mond, to Nesting, to Wcstover, to Cawson, to Petersburgh, to Grcenspring,
my Uncle William's, to Williamsburgh, and then according to my time
my route will be further detemiined.
" My having joined those charming men, Jefferson and Madison, though
it gave me infinite pleas'.ire, cost me money, so that when I arrived here I
found that 1 was by thirty dollars [)Oorer than when I left you. This, added
to the necessity, which I find still exists, of giving money to servants, and
much money too, occasions that of my asking you the favour of a bill for
$50, or a bank note to that amount, to me here, to be enclosed in a letter
to the care of Ludwell Lee, Es<]r., Shuter's Hill near Alex'a.
" Give my love to my dear Mamma, Sister, Uncle, Aunt and cousins,
and know me unchanged and unchangeably yours."
" Menoken, 20th September, 1790. My very dear Sir: Altho' your
request, to give you the news as soon as possible from Westover, seemed to
urge my speedy departure for that place and to dispense with my writing
until I arrived there, I cannot deny myself the pleasure I always feel when
communicating to you my feelings and thoughts. This a{)ology I hope will
satisfy you for my writing before I arrive at Westover. And now I am to
speak of Stratford, Chantilly and !\Tenoken I Stratford, the seat of my
forefathers, is a place of which too much cannot be said ; whether you con-
sider the venerable magnificence of its buildings, the happy disposition of
its grounds, or the extent and variety of its prospects. Stratford, whose
delightful shades formed the comfort and retirement of my wise and philo-
sophical grandfiither, with what mixture of awe and pious gratification did I
explore and admire your beauties ! ! What a delightful occupation did it
afford nif, sitting on one of tlie sofas of the great hall, to trace the family
resemblance in the portraits of all my dear >b)ther's forefathers, her father
and mother, her grandfather and grandmother, and so on upward for four
generations. Their pictures, drawn by the most eminent artists of l-^ngland
and in large gilt frames, adorn one of the most spacious and beautiful halls I
have ever seen. There is something truly noble in my grandfather's pic-
ture, lie is dressed in a large wig, flowing over his shoulders (probably his
official wig as President of the Council), and in a loose gown of crimson
sattin, richly ornamented. I mention the dress, as it may serve to convey
to you some idea of the stile of the picture. But it is his physiognomy
that strikes you with emotion. A blend of goodness and greatness ; a sweet
yet penetrating eye, a finely marked set of features, and a heavenly counte-
nance. Such 1 have almost never seen. Do not think me extravagant; my
feelings were certainly so when I dwelt with rapture on the portraits of
I ! :;);/).. ,-i'
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I20 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Stratford, and felt so strong an inclination to kneel to that of my grand-
father. It was with dilnculty that my Uncles, who accompanied me, could
persuide me to leave the hall to look at the gardens, vineyards, orangeries
and lawns which surround the house.
"Colonel Harry was not at home, so we returned to Chantilly to
dinner. Chantilly is upon the same river with Stratford, at a distance of
about three miles, and commands a much finer view than Stratford by
reason of a large bay into which the Potomack forms itself opposite to
Chantilly, and a charming little creek whose windings spread across and
water the space wliich lies before Chantilly and the river. Besides, there is
a fine island called IJlackstone's that adds to the landscape. At Chantilly,
you have everything that is most excellent in fish, crabs, wild fowl, and
e.^quisile meats, the best of liquors, and a most hearty welcome. The
house is rather commodious tlian elegant. The sitting room, which is very
well ornamented, is 30 x iS feet, and the dining room, 20 x 24. My
Uncle has a charming little daughter, whom you remember he mentioned to
us, his little beauty. Her name is Sally, and she is everything her friends
could wish. The pleasures which so many agreeable circumstances neces-
sarily afforded us at Chantill)- were not a little interrupted by the e.xtreme
indisposition of the feuiily. Exce{)ting Sally, there was "not one of them
perfectly well. \'ou were frequently wished for ; we never sat down to a
fine rock-fish, soft crab or wild duck without my Uncie Richard's wishing
tor you to partake of it. But i must reserve a more particular description
of them until we meet. Else I should not have room to say a word of
Menoken. I find my Uncle and .-Vunt Frank as happily situated as it is
possible in this world, except their want of society, which they have in
themselves, only. They are prodigiously kind to me and to poor Baptist,
who has tlie fever and a;;ue. I have e^5capcd ordy by taking a dose of bark
every day. My Aunt is both Baptist's nun.e and mine. She often talks of
you and Philadelplria. What a favourite you are in Virginia 1 Attribute it
not to flattery, when I say what I really think, tiiat you ought to be so cverv-
where. God bless yuu, my dear Father. I ()ray you. Sir, always to re-
member me most affectionately to all my dear relations, and friends. Mv
dear Mama, and Sister in particular. My Uncles and Aunts all desire me
to remember them particularly to you."
The last will and testament of Tlloma^ Lee, though very long, is inter-
esting and gives a fair idea of the man. It also shows him to have acquired
quite a large estate. The will was dated 2 2c\ February, 1749, and pro-
bated in Westmoreland 30th July, 1751.
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STRATFORD LINE, THIRP GENERATION. 121
In the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Lee of Stratford in the County of Westmore-
land in Virginia, Esnuire, President and Commander-in-cliief of tlie said Colony being
thanks be to God of sound Perfect and disponing sence and memory; do make and
declare this my Last Will and Testament, all written in my own hand this twenty-second
day of February in the year of Our Lord C»ud one thousand seven Hundred forty and nine,
1749-50. First, my ;oul 1 doe resign vviUi all Humility and Sinceiity to the Lord God of
the Heavens, my Creator, from whom my sinfull tiesh received it in steadfast hope of mercy
and forgivenes-. of all my sins and offences by the sufferings and merits of his beloved son
Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of all men. Amen. Amen. Amen. As to
my Body, I desire if it Pleases God that 1 dye anywhere in Virginia if it be Possible I
desire that I may be buried between my Late Dearest wife and my honoured Mother and
that the Bricks on the side next my wife, may be moved, and my Coftin Placed as near hers
as is Possible, without moving it or di-.turbing the remains of my Mother. Having observed
much indecent mirth at Funerals, I desire that Last Piece of Human Vanity be Omitted
and that attended only by some of those friends and Relations that are near, my Body may
be silently intered with only the Church Ceremony and that a P'uneral sermon for Instruc-
tion to the living be Preached at the Parish Church near Stratford on any otiier Day.
In the next place I desire my Ex'ors to p ly all my just Debts without delay or Trouble,
all but Trifles may be found on my Book.
Item. I give and devise to my Eldest son all my Lands in the Countys of Westmore-
land and Northumberland to my Eldest son and the heirs male of his body lawfully be-
gotten forever, and for want of such Is^ue to my second son and the heirs male of his
Body Lawfully begotten forever, and for want of such Issue to my Third son and the heirs
male of his Body Lawfully begotten forever, and for want of such Issue I give the said
Lands to my Eldest son and his Heirs forever, and my will is, and upon this Express Con-
dition it is that I have Entailed these Lands on my second and third sons, in Case of
Failure of heirs male, that my second or third sons to whom these Lands shall descend do
Pay respectively to the Heirs Female of my Eldest or Second son as the Case may be two
Thousand Pounds sterling which either the second or third sons failing to doe I revoke
those gifts and then as Heirs it will descend to the lemale Issue of my Eldest son as I desire
it shou'd.
Item. I give and bei^ueath to my Eldest son and his heirs forever all my Lands on the
Eastern Shoare of .Maryland and called Rehoboth, my two Islands, Moreton and Eden in
Cohongaronto or Potomack, 3,600 on the broad run of Potomac and to include half the
good Land on Cohongaronto or Potomac, which is my first Patent, Survey by Thomas
Stooper Surveyor and all my Land at or near the falls of the Potomac in three Patents or
deeds Containing in the three Patents above 3,000 acres, all these Lands, I give n\y Fldest
son in fee simple and I give my said son all the Utensils on the said Lands.
Item. I give and bequeath to my second son and the male Heirs of His Body Law-
fully begotten forever, the remainder of all my Lands between Goose or Lee Creek and
broad Run joining to the Land I have given my fust son, all the Lands I hold on Difficult
run except 800 acres hereafter given to my fourth son, all nn' Land in the County of .'Staf-
ford all w^h Lands I give to my second son in fail male as af's'd, and in Case of failure
of such Issue then I give all the said Lands to my Eldest son in tail male, and for want
of such Issue to my third and other son-i in tail male U[-.oa this Express Condition that
which ever of my sons these Lands Descend on for want of male Issue of my second son,
that such son shall before he enters on the said Lands p.ay to the P'emale Issue of my said sec-
ond son fifteen hundred pounds sterling, otherwise this gift to all but my second son to be void.
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122 I>EE OF VIRGINIA. "^
Ileni. I give and bcque:i»li tc my third son and the heirs innle of his Body Lawfully
begotten foicvor, all my Lands in I'riiice \\'i!liain County Containing by deed from the
Prop'rs Oi.'ic- 4,2C>o acres iiv>re or less, and in case of Failure of sucli Issue to my fourth
and other Vinnr^er sons in Tnil nv-le, and which-;-, er of niy sons shall take by virtue of this
Gift, I will and direct shall j.ay Female Lssue of my said third Son one thousand pounds
Sterling before entry into the said Lands, which if he fails to doe then I declare my gift to
him to be void.
Item. I give and bcqn- nth to my fourth son and the heirs male of his Body Law-
fully begotten forever all my I^aiids on Horse I'en run and Stallion Branch and Soo acres
of Land hi.= clioice in any one rir.c: out of iny Lauds on Dihlcult run in Fairfax County,
but my meaning is that he shall chuse it on any erne side of the Land, and not in the mid-
dle, my design being to give him a Convcn't Place to live on with a good Spring and high
Ground, and for want of Issue as above I give the said L.inds on horse pen Run to my third son
in tail male, and to my other younger sons in tail male, but with this Proviso that whichever
son takes these Lands otlier t'lan my fourth shall before he enters Pay to the Female heirs
of my Fourth son Eight Hundred Pounds Current unmey and in case he fails the Gift to
be void, and f<;ir want of sucli Issue male as afrM 1 give the Soo acres on difiicult to
my sccorui .-o:! in t.aii maU- and for want of such Issue to my Eldest son in fee. Item. I
give to my Daughter Alice one thousand Pounds -Sterling to be paid her at twenty-one
years of age or day of marriage and till such time I desire her a reasc.nable maintenance,
board and educ:ition out of my Es'ate. Item. Whereas I have a long Lea.se of Land in
Cople Parish in which the fee is in my Nephew George Lee, my will and desire is that
my Eldest son do Convey to ye .said George Lee all my right to the said Land to the
said George Lee in tail male for tl:e consideration of three hundred Pounds Sterling first
to be paid by the said George Lee to my said Eldest son, and in Case of failure of male
Issue of the said George I.er thrit the said Lands return to my Lawful! lleir male he pay-
ing to the Heirs Female of the said George Lee a proportion of the said tliree hundred
pounds Sterbng as shall be with relation to the time to Come in the said Lease from the
time of the said Purchase money being paid, but one acre where my Ilon'd Father is
Buryed is not to be in this Purcha.se and sale, but remain as on the first sale to mc, not to be
disposed of upon any pretense wliatsoevcr.
Item, 'j'o my fifth son, I give one thotisand I'ound . Sterling to be paid at Twenty one
years of age, ar.d till then to be niaintained and I'ducated out of my E-ta'.e. Item. To my
si.vth son, I give one thousand T'ounds Sterling to be p::id at twenty one years cf age, and till
then to be maintained and educated out of my Estate. Item. I desire and impower my
E.x'ors who I appoint Guardians to my children to educate my children in such manner as
they third', hit Religiously and virtuou.-ly and if necessary to bind them to any profession or
Trade, soe that they may Learn to get their Living honestly. Item. I give my stock in
Trade in Comi>any with Col. Tay'oe and Mr. Anthony Strother to which of my two youngest
Sons my E.v'ors shall think fitt, such son paying to my tu-o Daughters Hannah Corbin and
Alice and the cither Brother to each a fourth Pait of the .'>tock in money or Bills and in such
time as my said Ex'ors shall think titt. Item. I give my share in the Stock in trade and
the Profit of the Land to be graiited by Virtue of the King's Warrant to my second son he
paying on every Division made by the Company one equal third part of the Profitts of his
share to my third and fourth sons to each an equal P:\rt with, himself, or this gift to be void
and he only to come in for om- thiid to be paid by the Com[)'y and one third to each of his
two Brothers afs'd. Item. Wherea.s I have giv^n to my Eldest son one Share in the said
Company both Trade and Land \viiich I paid for him in the Stock in Trade I hereby Con-
firm iny said Gift Absolutely.
STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. 123
Item. I give to niy Eldest son one hundred Negroes above ten years old and all of and
under that age on the Lands I have given him hut what above a loo yt are above ten yrs old
to be di"ided as hereafter is mentioned, and in this Gift to make up the numbers, I give all
my Tradesmen, all '.vhich Negroes young and old I annex to the Land given my Eldest son
to pass and Descend with the said Lands as the Law Commonly Called the Explanatory'
Law directs. Item. I give to my second son, Fifty Negroes above Ten years of age and all
the young ones of and under that age that are on the I^nds I have given him annexed and
to descend as the Land I have given him does. Item. I give to my Third son Forty
Negroes above ten years of age and all of yt age and under yt are upon the Lands, I have
given him annexed and to Descend as the Lands I have given him. Item. I give to my
Fourth son Thirty Negroes above Ten years of age and all of that age and under that are
on the I^ands I have given him to be annexed and descend as the Land I have given him.
Item. The Profits of the Naval Oftice according to my Contract w''' Col. Richard Lee, I
give to my two youngest sons equally and to the survivor of them.
Item. My Will is and I accordingly desire yt my whole Estate be kept together till
all my deists and Legacies be settled and Paid. Item. I will and Devise yt if any of my
younger children dye before twenty one j-t in such case that Legacy be p"d in equal parts to
such other as live to be twenty o;ie, that is my two daughters and my youngest sons. Item.
I give to my Second Son my CJold watch and seal. Item. I Give all the Rest and Residue
of my Estate to my Eldest son and his heirs forever, and the several Bequests and Legacies
heretofore given I give in lieu and full satisfaction of their Filial portions and so I desire it
may be taken and understood, and I hope I have Expressed so plainly that a Lawyer will
not find room to make Constiiictions prejudicial to my Family. Item. I devise and Bequeath
to my Five younger sons two hundred pounds each towards building and P'inishing each a
house and tliis legacy I design and order to be paid before m)' Estate is Divided. Item. I
hereby appoint my Friends and Relations, Richard Corbin, Esqr, my Eldest son Philip Lud-
well Lee, my son-in-law Gawin Corbin, Esqr, and my second son Thomas Ludwell Lee,
my Ex'ors and Guardians to my children. Item. I give to each of my sons and Daughters a
mourning ring of tive pounds Sterling value. Item. I give to my second son the mourning
ring I had for Col. Grymes. Item. I give to my third son the mourning ring I had for
Col. Lighlfoot. Item. I give to my Eldest Son the ring Col Custis gave me in bis life time.
Item. I give to my third son the mourning ring I had for Col Tayloe.'
There has been some uncertainty as to the Ijnrial place of both Thomas
Lee and his son, Richard Henry ; the former has ahvays been thought to
have been buried at Old Pope's Creek church, and the latter at Chantilly.
But an examination of their wills and other ciata i^roves most conclusively
that both of them were buried in " the Old Burnt House Fields," at " Mt.
Pleasant." It requires no proof to show that Ricliard Lee and Lastitia
Corbin, his wife, were buried at this place, as their toml>stone is still to be
seen there. Thomas Lee's wife died about a year before her husband, and of
course had been duly buried ; in his will he desired to be " buried between
' John Tayloe, Esq., of Richmond county, in hii will (<:iate<l the 3d of Janu.iry, 1744) Itft his " friend and
kinsm.Tn," Col. Thom.is Lee, a mourning suit, a ring, and /lOo; in .1 codicil (dated 31st of January, 1744),
he g:\ve hiin ^1^0 additiunal, also a mourning ring to Mrs. Hannah I^e, and to the testator's kinsman. Col.
Henry, Lee of Westmoreland, £$0.
124 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
my Late Dearest wife and my Honoured Mother, and that the bricks on
the side next my wife may be moved and my coffin Placed as near hers as is
possible, without moviny or disturbing the remains of my Mother." This
request proves his wife had been buried very near tlie grave of his mother.
There can be no doubt that Thomas Lee was buried, as he desired, beside
his wife, for one slab covered the two graves, and has on it the following
inscription, recently copied, 'i'he slab, now at Stratford, is in perfect con-
dition, and the inscription as legible as when first cut :
Here lies Buried the Hoirble Col. I'homas Lee, Who dyed 14 November, 1 750 ;
Aged 60 years ; and his beloved wife, .Mrs. Har.nah I-ee. She departed this life 25 January,
1749-50. Their monument is erected in the lower churcli of Washington Parish, in this
County; five miles above their Country Seat, Stratford Hall.
Westmoreland was then divided into two parishes; Cople (once written
"Copeley") occupied the lower part of the county and Washington the
upper. Cople parish had two churches, Yeocomico and Xominv. Wash-
ington parish had three: Round Hill, on the ////cv- border, near King
George county ; Pope's Creek, hnvcr Jozoi, on the main road from West-
moreland court-house to King George: and Leeds or Bray's church, on
the Pvappahannock river. Yeocomico alone remains of all these churches.
.\s Old Pope's Creek church stood about five miles above Stratford,
and was the lower church of Washington parish, it was evidently the one
alluded to in the al>ove quoted inscription. Ami it is probable that per-
sons in after days, seeing the munuuient at this clu'.rch, ver\ naturally sup-
posed Thomas Lee had been buried there also.
Bishop Meade has stated that Thomas Lee was buried at Old Pope's
Creek church, hut gave no reasons for the statement; it is most probable
he had been informed by i)ersons who had seen the monument. Though
he visited the church and held services there in iSi2,he saw no tomb-
stones; on the contrary, he expressly stated that there " the remains of not
a few were interred, although no tombstones have preserved their names.
Among those who>e bodies were deposited arounti this church is to be num-
bered the Hon. Thomas Lee," iVc. He then gives the epitaph from his
tombstone, and gives an erroneous one : "I take the following inscription
from his tombstone, which I saw some years since, lying against the wall of
the family vault at Stratford,
' In memory of the Hon. Thomas I.ee, whose body was buried at Pope's Creek Church,
five miles above his country seat, Str.itford Hall, in 1756.' "
A comparison of this inscription with the correct one, just quoted,
shows manv errors. The tornh'^tone states that •' their monmnent is erected
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STRAXrOKD LINE, THIRD CF.NF.RATION. IJg
in the lower church of Washington Parish, in this County, five miles above
their Country Seat, Stratford Hall." Fortunately, a copy of the inscription
once on this monument has been preserved, in the writing of Richard
Henry Lee ; hut. unfortunately, a part of the manuscript is torn, so that the
name of the " family burying place " is lost :
This Monument i< erected to tlie Memory of the Honourable Col". Thomas Lee, Com-
mander-in-chief and President of His Majesties Council t'or this Colony, descended from the
very ancient and Hoiiourahle Family of Lees in Shropshire in England, who dyed Novem-
ber 14, 1750, aged 60 years; and of the Hon'^'^ Mrs. Hannah Lee, his Wife, by Philip
Ludwell Lee, their eldest son, as a just and dutyfuU Tribute to so excellent a Father and
Mother, Patterns of Conjugal Virtue. They are buryed eighteen miles from this in the
family burying place, called the old in Cople Parish, in this Couuty.
No one can welt doubt that the " family burying place " was in the
old Burnt House Fields, at " Mt. Pleasant." This was the "one acre
where my Hon'd Father is Buryed " that Thomas Lee, in his will, desired
should not "be disj^osed of upon any pretense whatsoever." It was the
" family bur\-ing place at the burnt House, as it is called," where Richard
Henry Lee desired to be buried.
Thomas and Hannah (Ludwell) Lee had the following issue ; names
and dales were cojned from the family Elible of Richard Henrv Lee, who
stated he had copied from that of his father at Stratford:
i, Richard*, born 17 June, 1723 ; died unmarried, before his father.
ii, Philip Ludwell*. See 16. b. 1/26-7 z^-^' 7/^!"-'
iii, Hannah ', born 6 February, 1728 ; married Gawin Corbin (who died
prior to 1760), and left a daughter, Martha, who married George
Richard Turl>erviile. Philip Ludwell Lee, writing to his brother
William, under date of 31 May, 1769, said: "Tomorrow Patty
Corbin and George Turberville are to be married." They had two
sons: Gawin Corbin and Richard Lee; the latter married his
cousin, Henrietta, daughter of Richard Henry Lee, and left issue,
(See Turberville, luuier 3; also 18, vi.)
iv, John *, born 28 March. 1729, and died the same day.
V, Lucy*, born 26 September, -^750,; and died unmarried. wir^cU^t a«o^,t5>' .n^t^iL^ j^x \j
vi, Thomas Ludwell*. See 17, t.'-:?o '~,^ _ a . PT-g4,3
vii, Richard Henry*. See \'6.o.\~z. t nx-JL^ - li. i-oj."';,
viii, Francis Lightfoot*. See 10. --.c^-. ' b. ;>7>^"^,, -iroti
ix, Alice *, born the 4th of June, i 736. at Stratford ; died at Philadelphia.
on the 25th of March, 1S17; married at London, in 1760, Dr.
William Shippen, Jr., and had several children, only two of whom
. » ■ "1 l' "I >'
*10.J
126 • LEE OF VIRGINIA.
lived lo marry. They were: i. Anne Hume, born in 1763; died
at Plii!:idel]>hia, the 23d of August, 1S41, a:t. 78 years; she mar-
ried, on the nth of ^[arch, 1781, Col. Henry Beekman Livingston,
son of Robert R. Livingston, Sr., of Clermont, N. Y. ; they had
a daughter,. Margaret Beekman, who died unmarried. 2. Thomas
Lee Shippen, born in 1765; died near Charleston, S. C, on the
4th of February, 179S; he married, at ''Nesting," Va., on the
loth of i\Lirch, 1 791, Mrs. Elizabeth (Farley) Bannister, the widow
of John Bannister, Jr., of A'irginia. (Elizabeth, daughter of John
and Elizabeth (Hill) Carter, married Col. William Byrd ^ of "West-
over," Charles City county, and had, among others, Elizabeth Byrd,
who married James Parke Farley; their daughter, Elizabeth Carter
Farley, married John Bannister, Jr., and after his death, Thomas Lee
Shippen, as stated.) Thomas Lee, and Elizabeth (Farley-Bannister)
Shippen had two sons; or.ly one of whom left issue: William Ship-
pen, ^L D., born at "Farley," Bucks county, Pa., the 19th of Linu-
ary, 1792; died at Philadelphia, the 5th of June, 1867; married at
Petersburg, on the 14th of February, 1S17, Mary Louise, daughter
of Thomas and Jane Gray (Wall) Shore, of Petersburg; she' was
born the 17th of March, 179S; they had ten children, of whom
the following five lived to be married: i. Jane Gray (born
in iSiS) married ('S43) Edward Wharton, of Philadelphia, and
left a daughter, who died unmarried. 2. Alice Lee, born 5th of
March, 1821; died 27th of January, 1S62; married (1S47) Dr.
Joshua Maddox Wallace, of Philadelphia, and had three children.
3. Thomas Lee, born 27th November, 1822; married, on the nth
of January, 1860, Jane Gray, daughter of Dr. John and Elizabeth
S. (Shore) Gilliam, and had one son, Williani Shippen. born 21st
of May, 1S61. 4. William, born 21st of May, 1S25 ; died the
3d of April, 1S58; married at Italtimore, Achsah Ridgley, daughter
of Charles R. and Rebecca Ann (Pue) Carroll, and had one^son,
Dr. Charles Carroll Shij.pen. 5. Edward, M. D., U. S. A., born
the 23d of June, 1S27; married, on the 3d of December, 187S,
Mrs. Rebecca Lloyd Post, the widow of Capt. John Eager Howard
Post (a great-grandson of the famous Col. John Eager Howard, of
Md.), and the second daughter of James Macon Nicholson, of Bal-
timore, and Arinthea Darby Parker, his wife; Mr. Nicholson was a
son of Judge Joseph Iloj^per Nicholson, of Md. Mrs. Shippen is
also a great-granddaughter of Col. Eduard Lloyd, of "Wye House,"
Talbot county, Md., and Elizabeth Tayloe, of " Mt. Airy," Vn-
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STRATKORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION.
I 27
ginia, his wife. Dr. and Mrs. .Shipi-en have one son, Lloyd Parker
Shippen, born the iSth of October, 1S79. ^^- Shippen resides at
Baltimore, Md.
X, William *. .See 20. p ::jo~. b. •-3<3 ^'^t - A. i7<^s-^y
xi, Arthur ^ See 21-. f^*^- ^- i;'a° '/U- ^- y^-'^^'z.
^^i^--' "^e^^ feitW
THE LUDWELLS.
Arms : Gules, between two tower? on a bend, arg., three eagles displayed, sable.
Motto : I pensieri stretti edil viso sciolto.
The Ludwells are believed to have come originally from Germany and
to have settled in the county of Somersetshire, England, from whence two
brothers, Thoma.s and Philip, came to Virginia. They were the sons of
Thomas Ludwell, and Jane Cotting-
ton, his wife; she was the daughter
of James Cottington, of Discoe, in
the parish of Bruton. This James
was the son of Philip Cottington,
Gent., of Godminster, Somersetshire,
and a brother of Philip, Lord Cot-
tington, prominent as a statesman and
diplomat in the reign of Charles the
Second.
Thomas, the elder brother, ap-
parently came to Virginia some years
before Philip; he was secretary of
the Council in Virginia, and long a
prominent supporter of Berkeley ; his
tombstone, at Williauisburg, sur-
mounted by the Ludwell arms, has
this inscription :
" Under this Marble lieth the Body of Thomas Ludwell, Esqr. , Secre-
tary of Mrginia, who was born at Bruton in the County of Somerset in the
Kingdom of England: and who departed this Life in the year 167S : and
near this place lye the bodies of Richard Kemp Esqr., his Predecessor in
ye Secretary's Office, and S""- Thomas Lunsford Kt, in Memory of whom
this Marble is placed by Order of Philip Ludwell, Esqr., nephew of the
said Thomas Ludwell, in the year 1727."
About 1660, Philii^.jhe brother of this Thomas Ludwell, came to
Virginia; he was soon chosen deputy secretary under his brother, and
.<'i
128 LF.F, OF VIRGIXIA.
finally succeeded him in that office, which he held for many years. He
was, also, a firm adherent of Sir William Berkeley, and appears to have
been a strong backer of the governor during the troublesome times of
Bacon's rebellion ; in 1689, he went to England to present a petition to the
King for redress of certain grievances against Effingham; and was so
successful in this mission that the House of Burgesses voted a gift of ^'2^0,
with their hearty thanks; in 1793, he was appointed governor of the
Carolinas, and aj^pears to have been very aggressive in his administration,
especially against the jiirates that infested the coast, many of whom he
hanged. He returned to England, died there sometime after i 704, and
was buried in the Ludwell vault at Bow Church, then near London. This
Philip Ludwell was twice married; first, to Lucy, the daughter of Robert
Higginson, and the widow fsuccessively) of Major Lewis Burwell and of
Col. Vvilliam Bernard; l)y tliis union. Philip had a son and a daughter.
He married, secondly, Lady Berkeley, who had also been twice married ■
her first husband was one Samuel Stephens, of "Warwick county, and her
.second. Sir William Berkeley ; she was the daughter of Culpeper,
and evidently "a high dame," with considerable notion of her own import-
ance; while the wife of Phibi) Ludwell, she always styled herself "Lady
Berkeley." So far as known Lady Berkeley had no issue by any of her
husbands.
Sir William Berkeley, in his will, left his estate, " Greensprino^," to
his wife in these words: ''First, I make my deare and most virtuous wife,
\.?id'<; ffrtuiifs Bi^rkricy, my full and whole executrix of all the goods God
has blessed me with in this world. AVa7, with my goods, I o-ive her all
my lands, houses and tenements, whatsoever; and not only to her, />////<?
avoid a/l call/, to her and her hcires forever." (II Hening, 5S9-) At her
death, this property apparently passed into the possession of the Ludwells.
Philip, son of Philii) Ludwell. and Lucy Higginson, his wife, was born
at '' Carter's Creek, in tlie Parish of Abingdon, in Gloucester County, in
Virginia, on the 4th day of February, .Anno Dom. 1672, and died Januarv
II, Anno Dom. 1726-27." He was married on the "eleventh dav of
November, being Thursday, .Anno Dom. 1697. to Hannah, the daughter of
Benjamin Harrison of Southarke Parish, in Surry County in Virginia
Esquire, and Hannah, his wife, who was borne at Indian Fields in the said
Parish, on the 15th day of December, 16 78, and died April 4, Anno Dom.
1731." The inscription on her tombstone, in Jamestown churchyard, reads :
"Lender this Stone lies interred The Body of Mrs. Hannah Ludwell,
relict of The Hon^'* Col. Philip Ludwell Ksiir., By whom she has left one
;:. l>;'f.
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STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. ' I29
son and two daughters. After a most exemplary Life spent in Cheerful
innocence and the Constant F.xercise of Piety, Charity and Hospitality,
she Patiently Submitted to Death on the 4th day of April, 1731, in the 5 2d
year of her age."
Phili[) Ludsvell and Hannah Harrison had three daughters and two
sons, tAvo of whom died in infancy: i, Lucy, born "at Rich Neck, in
Bruton Parish, in James City County, the second day of November, Anno
Dom. 1 698, about 8 of ye clock in the morning, being wenesday." She
married Colonel John Cryuics, and left issue ; she died on the 2d of No-
vember. 174.8. 2, llannah. born --at Rich Neck, aforesaid, on the 5th
day of Deceml^er, anno Dom. 1701, being fryday, about nine of the clock
at night, and died at Stratford on Potowmack, Januar}- 25, 1749." She
married TlTuuias Lee. and had issue, as previously stated. 3, Sarah, born
"at Rich Neck, aforc>aid. the 29th da\ of July, anno Dom. 1704, being
Saterday, about 8 of ye clock at night. She died January, 6, 1704-5."
4, Philip, born at •• Circ-ensiaing, in James City Parish and County, on the
19th day of Janu:uy, Anno Dom. 1705-6, being Saterday, about 10 in ye
morning; he died the oih of March following. Pie was a very pretty boy,
like his motlier." ^.Philii.). " borne at Gre-ens|iring aforesaid, in the night
betvv'ixt frvdav tlie jSth and Satterday the 29lh of December, about 12 ot
ve clock, .\iino Duni. 1716." H'c married Frances "the daughter of
Charles Gr\ inc> of Norih I'arnham Pari>h in the count}' ot Richmond, in
Virginia, Esquire, ar.d Fraiices his wife, daughter of the Hon'ble Edmund
Jenings of Rippon, iii Vorkshire, in Flngland, Esquire, who was born at
Morattico, in the aforesaid Count}' and Parish, on ye i9lh day of Novem-
lier. An. Dom. 171 7. The marriage took place at Morattico afores'', A. D.
1737." Phili[) Ludv.ell died on the 25th of March, 1767, in England,
and was buried at l!ow Church. A\'ith his death the male line of the \'irginia
Ludwells became extinct. He had been a member of the Council in Yir-
ginia. a-ttd-i-n-t^o^j the S[ieaker ot the Hou^e ot Burgesses. He left three
daughters: 1. Hannah I'liili[>pa, who was born "at (_}reenspring on Wed-
nesday, Dec. 21, 1737. at 52 min. past 4 in the niorning, being St.
Thomas Day. and was cluistened the Tuesday following b} the Rev. Wm.
Lehein." She was married, at St. Clement Dane's, in tlie County of Mid-
dlesex, on the 7th of March. 1769, to \\'illiam Lee. (See 20.) 2. Lucy, who
married, in 1769. John Paiadise, Emp".. of Charles Street, Berkeley Square,
London, who died in England in 1706 ; she returned to \'irginia in 1S05,
and died there in 1S14, intestate. Their d.aughter, Lucy, born in liug-
land about 1770, married, in 17S7, Count Bar/i/a, a \'enetian subject, by
9
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130 LEE OF VIRGINIA. .
whom she had two sons _; one was born at Venice in February, 1789; the
other in August, 1796; both sons were living in 1819. Countess Barziza
died at Venice in August, iSoo. 3, Frances, born in 1750; died on the
14th of September, 176S, unmarried.
*
THE SHIPPEN FAMILY.
Arms: Argent, a chevron between three oak leave?, gules.
Crest : A bird, close, sable, in its beak an oak leaf, vert.
Edward Shippen, son of William Shippen, of Yorkshire, England, was
born in 1639 ; he emigrated to America in 1668, settling at Boston. En-
tering mercantile life, he speedily amassed a large fortune; was a member
of the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" of that city. In
167 1 he married one Elizabeth Lybrand, a Quakeress, and joined that sect ;
he had been previously of the English Church. On accourit of the "jail-
ings, whippings, and banishments, fines, li^^zc," meted to the Quakers by
the Puritans, he was finally compelled to leave ^Massachusetts. Conse-
quently, in 1693, he closed up his affairs and removed to Philadelphia,
where he died in 1712. Edward Shippen was evidently a man of much,
ability, as well proven by the position accorded hini in his new home.
For shortly after taking up his residence in Philadelphia he v.as chosen a
mcml)er of the Provincial Assembly and soon elected its Speaker (1695).
A few years later he was ai>pointtd by Penn the first Mayor of Philadel-
phia under the new charter (25th of October, 1701). Previous to that ap-
pointment he had been placed in the Council, and continued a member
until his death, having served as its President in 1702-4. On remarrying
he withdrew from the Society of Friends, and shortly afterward from pub-
lic life. Mr. Shippen built himself a vc:y h.andsome house in Philadelphia,
v,-hich v,as generally known as the " Governor's house." He was charac-
terized as having the " biggest person, the biggest house, and the biggest
coach in the city." His son, Joseph Shippen, prominent in political and
educational affairs, was born in 1679 at Boston, and died in 1741 at Phila-
delf.hia. He married Abigail Gross and had quite a large family, only
three of whom survived him : Edward, Anne, and William. Edward
(1703-1781) removed to Lancaster, and held many inijiortant positions
there. He left a son, aLo an Edward (1729-1S06), known as "the
jurist," who studied law at home and at the Temple in London. Return-
ing to Philadeljihia. he was appointed, in 1752, a Judge of the Court of
Vice-Admiralty, and (in 1770) a member of tlie Council. During the Revo-
lution he app'cars to have symiathized with England ; yet, in 1784, he was
STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. I3I
appointed President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia,
and in 1791 an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the State; in
1799 the Governor nominated him as Chief Justice, which position he
held until 1S05. His brotlier, Joseph Shippen (1732-iSio), was educated
at Princeton, became a Colonel in the Provincial arm}-, and later (1762) a
member of the Council. He, too, removed to Lancaster, and was a Judge
of the County Court. Anne, daughter of Josepli and Abigail (Gross) Ship-
pen, married Charles \Villing. Their third child, \\'illiam Shippen (known
as " the Elder," to distinguish him from his son, William Shippen, Jr., both
being physicians uf renown at the same time in Philadelphia), was born at
Philadelphia on the ist of October, 1712 ; died at Germantov.n on the 4th
of November, 1801. William gave evidence early in life of an aptitude
for medicine, by which he later acquired both fame and fortune. Though
devoted to his |\rofession, he was closely identified with many public inter-
ests ; was instrumental in aiding to establish the Pennsylvania Hospital, and
one of its attending physicians for many years ; vras a member and Vice-
President of the American Philosophical Society; in 1778 he was elected
by the Pennsylvania .Assembly a member of the Continental Congress and
again the next year.
Scarcely less noted was his son. Dr. William Shippen, Jr., who was
born in Philadelphia. 21st of October, 1736, and died at Germantown, on
the I ith of July, 1S08. After graduating at Princeton in i 754, he began the
study of medicine under his father; later, he went to London and studied
there under the celebrated surgeons, William and John Hunter. Next he
read at the L^niversity at Edinburgh, where he received the degree of M. D,
in 1 761. After his settling at Philadelphia, he opened the first systematic
course of leciurcs on anatomy (1762), which were very successful and v.cre
really the beginning of the medical department o( the University of Penn-
sylvania. Dr. Shippen was thoroughly patriotic during the Revolutionary
struggle, and held various positions as surgeon in the army. He was
appointed chief physician to ■' the Flying Camp of the Continental Army,"
15th of July, 1776, and later director-general of the military hospitals. He
married, in 1760, Alice, daughter of Thomas Lee, and had issue, as stated.
FIekrv Lee. j;. s- .
6. Henr\- \ fit'th son of Richard Lee'- (Richard ') and Laititia Corbin,
his wife, w.ii born about 1691 ; and died between tlie 13th of June and
25th of .August. 1747; he lived at '• Lee Hall," on the Potomac, adjoining
" Mt. Pleasant." It is probable that he took little or no part in public
iiffairs, for no records e.\ist of his having done so. He married, about
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132 : lEE OK VIRGINIA.
1723-34, Mary, daughter of Colonel Richard TMand, of " Jordans," Prince
George's county ; she was born the 21st of .-^'igust, T704; died i7<^4-
On the oppo.-.iie page is givei". a fat simile copy of Henry Lee's commission
as lieutenant-colonel of the Westmoreland county n:iilitia.
Henry I.ee made his will the 30th of V^^)'. 1746, and added the last
codicil the 13th of June, 1747: it was probated, at Westmoieland, the
25th of August, I 747 :
In the name of God, Anieii. 1 Ileniy I.ee of ti'.e [lariih of Cople, in. the Couniy of
Westmoreland, Gent, being sick and weak of body, but of perfect sense and inemor)% Do
make this my last Will and Testament. First and iiri.;ci}).illy I recommend my Soul to
Almighty God and my body to the Earth to be decently Bury'd, there to rest in hopes of a
Joyful resurrection and Union with n;y Soul at the la;t day through the merits .-xnd mediation
of our Blessed Medi.;t'jr and Kedeemer Jesus Chri.it. And as for what Worldly Estate,
which it hath pleaded ijod to bestow on me, I gi.e and Ijispose of the sanse in manner snd
form following. «
Imprimis I do (Jrder that all Ju,-t Debt^ wiiich 1 do owe be paid first out of my Estate.
And whereas I have a Suit at law witli Mr. John Cr.nvley of Northumberland Couniy for my
lauds in the said County which 1 puri-.hased of the lieir of Thomas Matthews dec'd, as by
Deeds from Westard and Lessinghani assignees of the said Matthews may full} and at large
appear. It is my \\'il] Intei:tion a:i 1 dcsiic that the said Si'it be Contimied aiid if Uccasion
that other Suits be brought ag"st the haid Crawley for ti) oLitain the s'd Lands, which he
unjustly detains from uie, and that [b.e charges thereol be burn and Dcfr.\ycd out of my
whole Estate.
It is my Will and desire tiiat my Estate be only Inv^i.tory'd and i>.ot to lie appiaised.
And it is also my Will and desire that my Estate be kept whole and entire for three years
after my decease before any Division or any part be taken by any, to whom it is bequeathed.
I give and bequeath tu rn\' Son \o\\n and to his heirs foie-.cr, the plantation and Tracts of
Land in Machotique iSeck, that 1 now mention, Vi.'/t. the 1 ands called King Copsco on
Potomac river, whicli I bcaight of h'hn Wright and William Chandler and Deliverance, his
Wife, and of Susanna Apjdeyard and the Land and I'lintations I bought of Col". Henry
Fit/hugh, and all the sevnr:u Tricts or parcels of L.ir.d I boLight of Samuel Altwell, as by the
several Deeds will more plainly anil at large appear. I give and bequeath to my Son lohn
and to his Heirs, One hundred acre> or ninrc of Land in Marhoti((ue Neck, as contained in a
Lease from the late Daniel .McCarty Gent, dec'd. ti.> Franii- Attwell, which I purchased of
the said Francis Atwell.
I give and bequeath to my Son [ohn and to hi-^ llei:s forever, Eighteen --laves, Vi.;"t.
Old Will, Absalom, Solomon, Ceaaar. Peter, Ilowels, Jack, Toney, Sue, Sue's Sarah. Sue"s
Lettv, .Sue's Winney, Lucy, Dave}", ]^^'?, .'-lisj, and Cyruss now are on the aforesaid Lands,
and from my Dwelhng plantation Ke:! and \\'iuney's Nan, and after m}' Wife's death, I give
to my Son John and to his lieirs furc\er tuo more slavc~, \'i/.'t. Old I'.ett}- and Cupid, I give
to my Son John a servant man called Smith. I give and be^jueath to my Son Richard and
to his Heirs forever all the Laudt, I'laniatioris and Hoine^ where 1 now live, being ail the
Lands given and bequeathed to me by my Honoured Father Col. Richard I.ee dec'd., as by
his last Will and Testament will -'.w-'ii: plainly appe.u', and all the several plant.itions and
Tracts of Lai;d which I ii.ivc at Suiid.ry times bought ci\ pj^cph Chandler, lolin Chandler,
John Byard, [ames Bysrd., William ( >.\hird and Frances, Ids Wife, by the several Deeds will
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STRATFORD LIXE, THIRD GKNERATION. I J3
nioic plainly apj.ear. Aiul al-o One hundred anil one acres of [ and more or less in M.uho-
tique Neck, which I bouijht ut" Riciiard Kenner. I give and be^iucath lo my Son Richard
and to his Heirs forever all my Lands and Plantations in Northumberland Coimty which I
bought of the Heir of Tlujtnas .Maithews dec'd. as by Heeds from Westard and Lessingham
assignee.-, nf the said Matthews mny more fully appe;ir. T give and bequeath to my son
Richard and to his fleivs forever One Acre and a half of Land at the Turks Swamp which I
bought of Cap't. Richard Bushrod with design there to build a mill. My Will and desire is
that a mill be there built at the charge of my Estate, which mill I give to my Son Richard
and to his Heirs forever.
I give and bequeath lo my Son Richard and lo his Heirs forever fifteen slaves now at
my dwelling plantation, Vi.^.'t. London, Roatswain, little Will, Old Phill, Prue's Tom,
Prue"s Sam, Frank Nugent, Dick, Natt, little Retty, Eave, Fatty, F.elinda. her child Maread
and old George, and after my Wife's death. T give and bequeath, to my Son Richard and to
his Heirs forever, thirteen more slaves, now at my dwelling plantation, Viz't. Jack, Harry,
Black S.irah, Philiis, Torn, Daniel, little Phill, little Sarah, Pnie, Prue's (ieorge, Beck,
young Prne, and Nell, — I give and beeiueath to ray Son Richard thre Servants men, Viz't.
the Shoemaker, the Piper and a servant named Cook. T give and bequeath to my Son
Richard and to his Heirs all the pictures in my House and my Clock and a Escreture made
of mahogany. 1 give and bequeath all my Stocks of Cattle, Hoggs, Sheep and Horses,
which are at my River Side quarters unto my two Sons John and Richard to be equally
divided between them.
I give and bequeath to my .'^on Henry and to his Heirs forever, all my Plantations and
Land in Prince William County which I have at Free Stone point and at Neapsco and
Powells Creeks, which wa.~ granted by Pattcnt to Gerva^ Dodson for two thousand acres,
and by my (/irandfather, Henry Corbin (ient. given to hi-> l)aughter Lettice who was my
Mother and afterwards descended to my Brother Mr. PJchard Lee as Heir at Law to her
and by my .-aid IVother given to me. a;, by deeds Pvccorded in Stafford County may more
fully appear. And whereas I sold to John Wright One thousand .\cres, a pjart of the said
Land, and ^ince have purchased the same again, Vi/'t. 666'2 acies of Francis Wright, son of
the aforesaid John, and j^jli acres of Mr. Benjamin Grayson to whom the said Francis had
sold: whereby I am now invested of the whole Two thousand acres of Land in fee simple
;is aforesaid given and l>equcathed to my Son Henry and to his Heirs forever. I give and
bequeath to my Son Henry and to his Heirs forever all that my 3111 acres of Land and Plan-
tation thereon in Fairfax County, at or near Salsbury pl.iin and Plait lick, a.-: by a proprie-
tors Deed for the said Land may liiore plainly appear. Also the land I bought of James
Walker for three hundred acres more or less, adjoining to the la>t mentioned Land in the
said county of Fairfa.x. I give and bequeath to my Son Henr\ and to his Heirs forever
Twenty slaves, Vi/'t. Tom, Dinah, Hannah, Moll, Daniel, Frank, little Dinah, Dick and
Cato, now at Xeapsco Quarter and Titus, Cain, Westminster, Eava. Harry, Joe, Sabina her
child, Joe and Harry, now at Saisbury plain Quarter, and at my dwelling plantation Prue's
Frank and Winney's Moll. I give ind bequeath to my Son Henry and to his Heirs all my
Stocks of Cattle and Hoggs and all rther my persona! Estate which I have in the said
County of Prince \^'iIliam and in the said County of I'airfax, excepting Debts due to me,
which are to come into my Estate. My Will and de-,irc is that my Son Henry be Con-
tiimed at the Coliege two years from the d.ite hereof and iifterwards to I'C a writer in the
.Secretary's Ofi'ice. lill he be twent) one years of age.
I give and liequtath to my Daugliter I-ettice and to her Heirs ."^even Inuidred pounds
sterling to be paid her as -oimi, and as conveniently a.-, my Estate can do it. a.''ter she attain
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134 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
to the aire of twenty one y^ ars or the day of her marriage, which shall first happen. I give
anrl bequeath to ray said Daughter two slaves named Letty and I'eg and their increase to my
said Daughter and to her Heirs forever. I give to my said Daughter a Chest of Drawers made
of Oak, as is now called her chest of Drawers, and a new Chest of Drawers made of Ma-
hoj;any. I lend to my beloved Wife Mary, in full consideration of her Dower, thirds or
childs part of my Estate, both real and personal, and for no other intent whatsoever as I
hereafter mention, in even.- particular, Viz"t. I lend to my said wife the use of my dwelling
phuuation and the use of my dwelling House, Out Houses, Garden, Orchards, and all other
appurtenances to the same belonging, and Land adjoining, making in the whole 600 acres
during her life, also I lend to ray said w'.fe the use of my Land at Kingcopsco in Machotique
Nfcck during her life, which I bought of William Chandler and r)eliverance, bis wife, and of
Susannah Appleyard as by Deeds will more plain appear. And my Will and desire is that
for the use of the said Land and Plantation at Kingcopsco, my Wife shall at all times, when
occasion, have free liberty on any of my Land next adjacent to have Timber for Framin^r
Rafters, Posts, Studs, Culs bords, Tob: sticks, fencing and tire wood or for any other neces-
sary use for the ser.'ice of the said Plantation. Also I lend to my said wife the use of fifteen
slaves during her life, Viz't. Jack, Harry, Plack Sarah, Phillis, Tom, Daniel, little Phill
little Sarah, Prue, George, Beck, young Prue, and Nell, who are now at my dwelling planta-
tion, and Old Betty and Cupid who are now at my River Side Quarter, and I lend to inv wife
the use of all my House hold furniture and Utensils in the Kitchen, Dairy, Meat house, and
in all other Houses and places belonging to my dwelling plantation, also the chaise, the
chair, the Horses and Harness during her life. And I give to my wife all my stocks of
Cattle, Hoggs and Sheep belonging to my plantation where I live, and I give to my Wife
three casks of the bt. jt Cyder from my Quarters at the River Side, even,- year during her life.
It is my will and desire that all times when my Wife has Occasion for Tob : Casks and Cyder
Cask, that Frank Nugent and Dirk get the Timber and make the cask and that they mend
and repair all the houses on my dwelling plantation, and they to do any other Coopers or
Caq:ienters Work for my Wife as she may have occasion, and when she requires it, and that
without any charge to her for the same.
After my Estate has paid all my Debts and the Charges of my Suit or Suits, with Mr.
Crawley, and paid niy Daughters fortune of Seven hundred pounds Sterling as aforemen-
tioned, and paid the Charges of building the mill for my Son Richard, — what Tob: and
money shall then happen to remain belonging to my Estate I give and bcqueatli the same to
my Wife and three Sens to be equally divided between them, and after my Wifes death, I give
and bequeath all my Household furniture and all other moveables and personal Estate what-
soevtjr, not already given or bequeathed, I give to my tiiree Sons, John, Richard and Henry,
to be equally divided between them.
It is my desire that my Wife and three Sons do in the management of their E.-tate take
advice of my two Brothers The Hon'ble Thomas Lee Esqr. and Cob. William Beverley. My
Will and desire is that my body have a private a decent Interment, without any funeral Ser-
mon, and that the buryal Service for me to be performed by the parish Clark or some other
fitt person. Lastly I do hereby appoint my two Brothers The Hon'ble Thomas Lee Esqr. and
Col. William Beverley, pIso my two Sons, John Lee and Richard Lee, Executors of this my
Last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke and make void all former Wills heretofore m.ade
by me, either by word or Lieed, and declare this to le my last Will and Testament, and
hereunto I set my hand and Seal this thirtieth day of July in the year of our Lc^rd One thou-
sand Seven hundred and forty six.
1st. Codicil, Westmoreland, July thirtieth, 1746. It is my Will that my Executors
I . .]
STRATFORD LINE, THIRD GENERATION. 1 35
al'ove nnmed Lease to Adam Mitchell for his own niid his W'ifes life, One hundred and
fifty Acres of Land adjoining to the Iluiise in which he now lives, and likewise that one
of his Children which he pleases to put in, may hold the same for his life, he or they or any
of them paying yearly during the terms mentioned the Sum of six hundred and thirty pounds
of Tol)
A further Codicil. Westmoreland County, August loth, 1746. I do hereby Constitute
and appoint my two Brothers The Hon'ble Tiiomas Lee Esqr. and Col'\ William Beverley
Guardians to my Son Henry and to my Daughter Lettice till each of them respectively attain
to the age of twenty-one years.
Third Codicil. In the name of God Amen. I Henr)' Lee of Westmoreland County
in Virginia and now at the Warm Springs in Frederick County, Ijcing sick and weak but
perfect in sense and memory thanks be to God for the same, do add this as a Codicil to a
former Will by me made, which will is sti'l to stand absolute, the two following clauses only
excepted, to wit: Imprimis, it is my Will that the Carpenters which I have heretofore em-
ployed in building certain Houses for the use of my son John Lee that is to say a Dwell-
ing House, a kitchen and an Otrice, shall be continued in such Employment untill such time
as the said Houses shall be compleated : The aforesaid Houses to be of the following
dimensions: the Dwelling House thirty-six feet by twenty four, the kitchen Eighteen feet
by Sixteen, and the Office Eighteen feet by Sixteen.
Item, That the Gift made in my foi-mei- Will of a negro Woman named Pegg to my
Daughter Lettice Wife of William Ball of Lancaster County Gentleman be hereby revoked
and made XuU ; and I bequeath the said negro Pegg with her increase unto my Son John
Lee and his heirs forever, he or they paying unto the aforesaid Lettice Ball, or to her
Heirs, the sum of Forty pounds Current Money. In witness wliereof I hereunto set my
hand, and affix my Scale as a Codicil to my former Will, this thirteentli (13th) day of June
in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and forty-seven.
(Another codicil, without date.) I give my — Saddle and furniture to my Son John Lee,
I give to my aforesaid Son my new Gun with a silver sight, and my ould Gun. I give to
my aforesaid Son my blew Cloath Suite and my new mourning Gound and Sword, which
is gone to England. I give to my Son Henry Lee a new Gun which came in for him and a
Gun called Hawells and my Watch. I give to my Son Richard Lee my long Gun which
cost three Geanes and a Gun called Watson which is now sent to England by Capt. Jno_
Johnson and I give my aforesaid Son my wriding Horse. I give to my Daughter Lettice Ball
a bed, bolster and two pillows, a pair of Blankets, a quilt and a pair of sheets.
Henry Lee's widow survived him many years, dying in 1764. Her
will was dated 19th of October, 1762, and probated, \Vestmoreland, 29th
of May, 1764.
In the name of God, .-Vmen. I Mary Lee of Lee Hall in the parish of Cople and
County of Westmoreland, Widow, being of perfect sence and memory, for which I thank
God, after recommending my Soul into the hands of that Almighty God who gave it and
declaring my trust through the raerrits and intercession of my Blessed Redeemer and
Saviour to receive pardon and remission of all my sins, do make and ordain this my last
Will and Testament in manner and form following. Inipriir.is, 1 direct my Ixjdy shall be
buried at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named. Item, I desire my just debts
may be paid as soon as they conveniently can after my death. Item, 1 give and bequeath
unto my beloved Daughter Lettice Ball all my wearing ap[>arel, Books and whatsoever
I.' . ■■ T-r. : ; :;;:» ; :> '■: <.u
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136 LF.F. OK VIR(.INIA.
Other things of mine that may be in th-i house at the time of my decease excepting the
Legacies hereafter mentionel. item, T give an J ijequeath unto my Dear Son Richard Lee
my Ch.-irriot and horses and all my stocks upon his paymg lu my Grand-Daughter Mary-
Ball One Hundred pound? current money of Virginia to be put out at interest on good
security untill my said Grand-Daughter arrives at the age of twenty-one years or is married,
when she is to ha%-e the whole principal and interest. Item, I give and bequeath untu my
Daughter Leltice Ball all the money that my son Richard Lee may owe me ai the time of
ray decease after deducting the price of the mourning Rings hereafter mentioned and
paving all my just debts which said money I order to be paid to my said D.iughter as
soon as possible after my decease. Item, I give to each of my children John Lee,
Richard Lee, Lettice Ball and Henry I.ee and my Daughters-in-law Mary Lee and Lucy
Lee and my (Jrand Daughter Mary Ball a mourning Ring of a guinea value. Liero, I give
unto my son John Lee my Weding ring. Item, I give unto my Granddaughter Mary Uall
my old mourning ring, my Bible and Common Prayer Book. Item, I lend unto my sp.id
Daughter Lettice Ball during her natural life to use them in whatsoever manner she thinks
proper without paying any compensation whatsoever the following slaves, . . . together
with all the rest and residue of my estate both real and per.-or.al, not before given and alter
the Death of my said Daughter T give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Mary Bail
and her heirs forever the following slaves . . . provided the said Mary Ball fhall marry
with the consent and approval of her said Mother Lettice Ball but if she should not
m.arry v.ith such consent and approbation tiien I give all the said nfrgroes and their increase
and all the rest of my estate to my Grandsons William and Henry Lee Ball in such parts
and proportions as my said Daughter Lettice Ball shall direct l>y her last will and Te^ta-
rac-nt in writing or by Deed Lxecuted in her life time before two credible witnesses, and if
my said Daughter should tail to make such will or deed then to be ciually divided between
them the said William Ball and Henry Lee Ball after the decease of my said Daughter.
Item after the decease of my said Daughter Lettice Ball I give and bequeath to my two
Grandsons William Ball and Henry Lee Ba',1 and their heir? forever the following slaves
... to be divided between or wholly given to either of my said Grandsons William Ball
and Henry I.ee Ball as my said Daughter Lettice Ball shall direct by her last Will and
Testament or by Deed executed in her life time before two credible witnesses and if my
Daugliter should f.'.P; to make such will or Deed, then to be equally divided between the .--aid
WilHaiu Ball and Henry Lee Ball. Item, I constitute and appoint my -on Richard Lee sole
Executor to this my last Will and Testament. In tesiimony whereof 1 have hereunto .>Jt
my hand and seal this 19th of October, 1762, and do hereby revoke every other will hereto-
fore by me made and Executed.
Henry and Mary (Bland) Lee left four children, three sons and one
daughter, named in their wills as follows :
i, John *, See 22. . .. , .,:
ii, Richard*, See 23.
iii, Henry *, See 24. 7-
iv, L.T.TITIA *, born about i 730-1 ; rnariied in 1746-7, Col. William Ball,
of Lancaster county; she was his second wife. She died in 17S8,
and left two oons, William and Plenry Lee Ball, and one daughter,
Mary Ball; so given in their grandmother's will.
'J ,1 i' 1'
.Irv i;i!l) fij h'-nmu."
STRATKORD LINE, THIRD GV.NEKATION.
137
Col. WiliianiMbll (William \ William'. William \ William') of
" Milleiibeck," Lancaster county, was a cousin of the James Ball
who, about the same time, married another I.ettice Lee, a daughter
of Richard and Judith (Steptoc) Lee, of the Ditchley line; as there
were several intermarriages between the Balls and the Lees of Ditch -
ley, a more extended notice of them will be giving when sketching
that branch of the Lee family.
THE BLAND FAMILY.
Arms: Argent on a bend, sable, three phaeons of the field.
Ckrst : Out of a ducal coronet, or, a lion's head ppr.
Motto : Sperate et vivite fortes.
The Blands of \'irginia are descended from Sir Thomas Bland, of
" Kippa.x Park," near Leeds in England, who was created a baronet by
Charles L, in 1642; he was the representative of an ancient and honor-
..^
I
^"^i
^::^J^^^^ryr
able family. Of this family was John
Bland, grocer, of London, who was
early interested in the Colony of ^'ir-
ginia ; he was l^orn in 1573 and died
in 1632, leaving a large family and a
verv great personal estate. Four of
his sons emigrated to Virginia:
i, Adanj, who died on the voyage,
ii. John, a merchant, trading to Vir-
ginia and the West Indies, prob-
ablv made his first voyage about
1635. On the 20th of March,
1674-5, hi.-, nephew, Edward,
son of his brother, Edward, con-
veyed to him 3,000 acres, called
"Kymages," in the parish of
Westover, Charles City county,
in \'irginia. His son, Giles, settled on this land, was collector of the
lo.ver James River, took [lart in Bacon's Rebellion, and was hanged,
in 1676, under a decree of Berkeley's court-martial. John Bland died
in 1680, leaving ''Kymages" to his wife, and Thomas Povey, whose
daughter, Frances, was -the widow of his son, Giles. This branch of
the family is extinct.
o ; .1. '.' '.).
V'V
,(/• •■ fi ! ;
138 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
iii, ridw-ird, the third son to emigrate, married his cousin, Jane, daughter of
Gregory Bland; lie came to Virginia before 1652; died in 1653, leav-
ing an only son, IMw.ird. This son married and left a son, John, who
died uriHiarried ; also a daughter, Sarah, v.'ho married and left issue.
i\, Theodorick, the fourth son to emigrate to Virginia, was the fifteenth
child; he was baptized at St. Antholin's (London) on the i6th of
January, 1629-30; was first a merchant with his brother, Edward, at
St. Luca, in Spain, tlien in the Canary Islands, and shortly after his
brother's death in 1653, he came to Virginia. He purchased "Berke-
ley" and "Westovcr," where he lived; v,-as Speaker of tlie House of
IJurgesscs, 1659-60; ineniber of Council, 1666, "and was both in
fortune and in understanding inferior to no person of his time in the
country." He was buried at Westover. (Alexander Brown, Getiesis
of the United States. S29-30.) His tombstone, at ^^'estover Church,
had tliis inscrij>tion :
J. S. II. Pnulentii et luudlti Theodorici Eland, Annig : qui Obiit Aprilis 23d A. D.
1671. J';tatis 41. Cujub \'idu;\ .Moaissima, Filia Richardi liennett, Armig: Hoc M armor
Posuit.
Theodorick Bland married Anne, daughter o{ Richard Bennett, and was
the progenitor of the Virginia family. Richard Bennett deserves a passing
notice in this connection, as he acted a prominent part in the affairs of the
Colony of Virginia. He was a member of the House of Burgesses in 1629 ;
of the Council in 1639-42-44-45-46-58-59-60-75, and probably at other
dates; was appointed by the Council of State in England one of their
commissioners to "reduce the plantations v.-ithin the bay of the Chesapeake
to tlieir due obedience to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England,"
which the commissiont-rs did in 1652 ; was governor of \"irginia 1652-55 ;
commissioner to England in 1655; and was appointed a major general of
the Virginia troops, 1662-72; died in 1675, and left a son, Richard of
Bennett's Point, Queen Anne's county, Md. Gov. Bennett is said to have
married Mary Ann Utie, wlio was probably a daughter of the Col. John
Utie, who settled at Chiskiack in 1632, and was an early member of the
Virginia Council.*
Anne (Bennett) Bland died at Wharton's Creek, Kent county, Md.,
in 16S7 ; they had issue two sons:
i, Theodorick, of " V/estoVer, " who was also a member of the Council;
he died in 1702, and left Theodorick, John (who returned to Eng-
land), and Scarborough.
» /r. b= M. Quarterly, III, s-^f-?©;.
:'H ■ .'; '..^'Tr. Xf
iiOil'' i.\
f iu'>;'- :- 'i ■• !•! . r>^di af
'-' ; Ml.../' . J „
STRATFORD MKK, THIRD GENERATION. 139
ii, Richard, of ''Jordans," James River, born al "Berkeley," the nth
of August, 1^,65; died the 6th of April, 1720, and was buried at
" Westover ;" he was twice married 3 first to Mary, the daughter of
Col. Thomas Swan ; secondly (in 1701), to Elizabeth, the daughter of
Col. William Randolph, of '-'Turkey Isirrnd," the progenitor of the
Randolph family in Virginia;' she died the 22d of January, 1719;
several children by his first wife died young; by the second wife he
left these five children: i, Mary, born die 21st of August, 1704;
married aboui 1723-4, Henry Lee, of Westmoreland, a^ stated. 2,
Elizabeth, who married Col. V>-illiam Beverley, of "Blandneld,"
Rappahannock River. 3, Col. Richard Bland, of ''Jordans," a
member of the Blouse of Burgesses, of the first Continental Congress,
of the Virginia Convention of 1775; he married Anne, daughter of
Peter Poythress, the ''Antiquary," by whom he had issue. 4, Anne
Bland, who married Capt. Robert Munford. 5, Theodoiick Bland,
born in 1720; married (1739) Frances, daughter of Drury Boiling,
and had, among others, Col. Thcodorick, M. D., statesman, soldier,
and poet ; he was born the 21st March, 1742 ; through his mother he
was descended from Pocahontas ; received his degree in medicine at
Edinburgh ; practiced for a short time in Virginia; later distinguished
himself as a leader of volunteers against I-ovi Dunmore, and also wrote,
under the mvn de plume of •' Cassius," some very spirited letters against
him ; he was captain of the First Troop of Virginia cavalry ; later be-
came colonel, and distinguished himself greatly by his services in the
field; he served in the old Congress, in 17S0-3; opposed the adop-
tion of the new Constitution, but later accepted a seat in Congress.
Theodorick and Frances (Broiling) Bland had also a daughter, Frances,
born 24th September, 1752; died iSth Januiiry, T78S; married twice ;
first (in 1769) John Randolph, nephew of the above mentioned
Elizabeth Randolph, whose son was the famous John Randolph, of
"Roanoke;" she married, secondly (in 1777), St. George Tucker,
whose son. Judge St. Cieorge Tucker, vs-as the father of the Hon.
John Randolph Tucker, and others.
The famous " Westover " estate, so frequently mentioned in these
notes, is said to have contamed about 2,000 acres, originally patented by
Captain Thomas Pawlett in 1637. At his death, in 164S, he left the land
to his brother, Sir John Pawlett, who sold it, in 1665, to Theodorick Bland
for ^170 sterling. His eldest son, also Theodorick, divided it with his
1 Sre slcetch of Ranfio'.fh Family, under t,''..
I .,,, ; m: / r> M "to
■- : ; r.: crroi
:i 1'
I40 I.KE OF VIRGINIA.
brother Richar'i ; they soli! the estate, in i66S, to the first Colonel Williani
Bvrd for ^300 sterling ami 10,000 pounds of tobacco.
STRATFORD LLNL, FOUR'J'H GENERATION.
Colonel (tkok<;e Lee, or Mr. Pleasant.
7. George *, the elde^t cliild and only son of Richard Lee ' (Richard \
R.ichard') and Martha Silk, his wite, was born at London, on the iSth of
.August, 1 714; came over t(> \'irginia sorae years at'tier tlie death of his
father and settled at "Ml. Pleasant," in Westmoreland county, where he
died the 19th of November, 1761. The proiialMlities are that George Lee
was educated in England, and did not come to Virginia until a year or so
before his first marriage. Me was married, o\\ the 30th of Sej'tem.ber, 173S.
to Judith, daughter of John and Elizabeth Wormeley. of " Pvosegill."
Middlesex county. 'I'he (Airish register of old Christ Church states that
"Sarah and Juditl), daughter^ of John and j'iii/a Wormeley, v,-cre born the
20th of June, and baptised the r7th of Juiie, 1714." Elizabeth ^Vorn1eley,
of Middlesex, h\- her will (of tlie 3d of March. 1743), gave her daughter,
Judith, the wife 01 Mr. Georee I-ce, ^200 sterling. Mrs. Lee died on the
Sth of June, 1751, leaving a daughter. Llizabetii. George Lee married,
secondly, on the i6th of December, 1752, Mrs. Anne (Fairfax) ^Vashing-,
ton, the \\ idow of Lawrence ^Vashington, of Mr. Vernon, and the daughter
of the Hon. ^Villiam Fairfax, of '• Relvoir," Fairfax county. Lawrence Wash-
ington was the halt'd^rother of George Washington, to whom he bequeathed
Mt. Vernon after his widow's death. General Washington occujiied Mt.
Vernon after her second marriage and [laid a yearly rental of some ^82
from 1752 to 1761.^ Mrs. Lee died the 14th of M'arch. 1761, on!)- a few
months before hrr husband. (The above data are taken from the family
Bible of George Lee, which has th.e name " Judidi \Vormeley," and the date,
"1736," on the riyleaf li is probablv the same "great P.ible " that
George Lee devised to his daughter, Elizabeth, ••' \shich were her mother's.")
1 The " Little Hunting Creek " or Mt. Vernon estate was firs: tievi.iect by John Wasliington, the immi-
grant, to his son Lawrence, who left it to his d.-ivighter, .Nli'.dred. in these words : " I give nn'! bequeath my
Daughter Mildred W. =:hi:igton all iny L.ind in Stal'ford County, lying upon hunting creek, where M'"
Elizabeth Minton and M^^. Williams now lives hy estimation -i.^.cj acres to her and her heirs forever." On
the 17th of May, i7;o, Roger Gregory, and Mildred Washipjlon, his wife, executed a deed of release for
{his property to her brother, .Viigustine \Vashin.;ton. " for divers gr.od causes and concit'erations him there"
unto moving but more especially for and in concidcration of the .sr.m of one Hundred and eighty pounds Sterl-
ing money of Great F'.ritain." Aug' jtine de.ised the esLitc to his second son, Lawrence, who, in turn, left
it to his wife for her life and at her dcatii to ^o to his yoi:n;er brother, George Washington. Lawrence
Washington desired to t< buried th-te be^dc his three children, and mentioned aho a dau^jhter, Sarah
who must have died shortly after her father
n-.'fl
Hi''->l ' l'>'!
.1..H --f
I '•■'in.'." '
I- ' !■>
STRATFORD XASE, FOURTH GENERATION. I4I
George l.ce was deputy clerk of Westmoreland, under his brother-in
law, George Turberville, from 1740 to 1742, at wliich date he succeeded
him in the orfice, and held it until his own death. He also represented the
(jouiitv as BiUL-ess in 1748, 1751, aiid perhaps at other times; was a Justice
for WcsLnureiand in 1737,; a vestryman of Cople parish in 1755. His
will, dated the 13th of September, 1761, and jfrobated, at Westmoreland,
the 26'Ji of Jai^.uary, 1762. was as follows:
In t'le Name of God, Auu-n. 1 (.Jeorge Lee of the parish of Cople in the County of
Weilinorelaiui, gentleman, Leing sick and weak but of perfect mind and nieinorv (thanks
be to God) do iiiake iliis my last \Yill nnd Testament in manner and fomi following : First,
I desire I may be uuiied decently but without any ponipt, in my garden, as near to my wife
as possibli.-. Item, I desiie that all my just debts be punctually paid and as soon as may be
after mv decease. Item, I give and dcvi.-e unto my eldest ion George Fairfax Lee and to
his heirs forever besides tlie tract of land I live on,' which is entailed on him, the three
.sevi-ral tract- or c^iucels of lai^.j wliich I hold in fee simple, adjoining to the said Entailed
land, for one. v.: -shich tracts I ha\e an Fsclieat Deed, fcir another I bought of Henry Garner
ar.d the third i.s kjiown by the name of the Lurnt House tract, which was held by the late
President the Uon"-'- Thomas Lee Esquire, and which was conveyed to me by the Hon^'*-
Philip Ludv.-ell Lee Esquire, agreeable to the Will of his Father, upon this condition, never-
theless t'lat my said son George Fairfax Lee suffer the negroes hereinafter given to my two
;.ons, Lancelot Lee cv,(] William Lee, and the increase of tlic said negroes, to work on his
I^ands af(_>resairi with ids own negroes, uiUiil the said Lancelot arrives to the age of tueuty-
one years, v.hen a Division of the slaves given to my saiil two .^ons, Lancelot and William.
is to be made, aiid liic said LaiKelot is t(j be possessed with iiis dividend of the same, and
after my said son Lancelot arrives at the age of twenty-one years, that the said George Fair-
tax Lee aLo permit my said son ^Vi!liam Lee's slaves to work on the saiil lands with his
own, until the said William Lee arrives to the age of twenty-one years, and untill all my
said sous anive to their respective ages tliey are to be suitably maintained and educated, at
the discretii:n of my Executors h.creafier named, out of the proiits of the whole of the negroes
as \'.ell of tlwre of my son CiecTge Fairfax Lee's as of my --aid other two ^ons, working on
the 5:Md Land, ami what jtrotits remain over and above what are to be ap[)Iied as aforesaid,
to be to the iLSt of mv ^-aid son George I'airfax Lee, and his heirs forever. But if my said
son George Fairfax Lee should refuse to let my -aid two sons Lancelot's and William's slaves
work on hi^ lands as aforesaid or should after they have worked on the same refuse to suffer
my Execntois to ajip.'y the protlt- a^ is before directed, I then revoke the Devise of the three
tracts or p.iiccls of land which I iiold in fee >imp'e and >.\hi<-h I have giveri to my said son
George Fairfax Lee ou the ("ondition afure.-aid. and du devise the same unto my Sfm Lance-
lot and hi< heir- forever, also upon tiii- Condition that he the said Lancelot shall suffer my
.>aid son William Lee's negroes to work on the same land untill my said son William arrives
to the age of twenty-one, and permit him to receive the protiis of his said negroes during the
whole time, but if my said son Lancelot Lee shoidd refuse to permit the same then I give
the said three tracts or parcels of land aforesaid imto my son Willian» Lee and his heirs for-
ever. Ittm, I give and devise unto mv son Lancelot Lee and his heirs forever one-half of a
1 George I. re HaJ built himself a residence on the hi!l-»tt+e-, about quarter or half-mile from the sid-: of
the old mansion, which had been on the 1 r.vland nearer the water front,
I ' ..; • hi;
142 LEE OK VIRGINIA.
tract or parcel of land lying as I believe in I.oudoun County, containing nineteen hundred
acres, which said tract or jiarcell of land was granted by Deed from the Frojirietor's office,
bearing date the first day of July one thou>and seven hundred and forty-one to Miss Ann
and Saiah Fairfax jointly and afterwards the joint tenancy wr.s severed by Deed Executed
by the said Ann and Sarah; since which the said Ann wh':^m I intermatTied haih by joint
Deed with me, recorded in the general court, conveyed her hnlf part to I\.icliard Lee Esquire,
in trust to the use of me and ray heirs in fee. Item, I give and devise unto the said Lance-
lot Lee and his heirs forever, a tract or parcel of land, containing live hundred and seventy
acres, in Frederick County, which was granted lo Lawrence Washington, Gent., deceased,
and by him devised to his widow the said Ann, T\-ho after her intermarriage with nie, exe-
cuted a Deed for the same with several other tracts of land, to the said Richard Lee in
trust to the use of me and my heirs. But if my said son Lancelot should die under age
without issue, I give all the said lands hereinbefore devised to him, to my son William Lee
and his heirs forever. Item, I give and devise unto my son William Lee and his heirs for-
ever, a tract of land containing eighteen hundred and forty acres, lying in Loudoun County
on the north side of Elk licking run, of Cub run, grnnted to the said Ann Fairfax by-
Proprietor's Deed, bearing date the twelfth day of June one tliousand se^•en hundred and
forty-one, also a tract of land, containing fourteen hundred acres, lying in LouJ.oun County,
on the branches of Bull Run and the bro?.d run of Potomac, also granted to the said
Anil by Proprietor's Deed, bearing date the sixteenth day of June one thousand seven
hundred and forty-one, also a tract of land, containing three hundred and three acre.= , lying
on or near the branches of Goose Creek, granted by Proprietor's Deed to the said Lawrence
Washington and by him devised to his widow the said Ann, all whicli said several tracts or
parcels of land the said Ami jointly with me after our intermarriage, conveyed to the said
Richard Lee, in tru.^t to the use of me and my heirs, as by a L)eed for that purpose of record
in the Secretary's office of this Colony may more fully appear.
But if my said son \Villiam Lee should die under age without issue, I give the said
several tracts or parcels of land to my son Lancelot Lee and his heirs forever. Item, I give
and devise unto my two sons Lancelot and ^^'illiam and their heirs twenty two slaves, . . .
to be equally divided between my said two sons Lancelot and William, when Lancelot
shall arrive at the age of twenty one years. Init if either of my said two sons die before
they arrive to the age of twenty one years without issue then I give the share of such son
so dying to the Survivor. Item, the following tlurty four slaves, . . . being entailed lliey
descend to my son (jeorge Fairfax Lee, and it is my will he have them. Item, if it should
so happen that my son George Fairfax Lee should die without issue, by which means his
entailed estate, both land and negroes, will descend to my son Lancelot, then and in such
case I revoke the several becjuests to him the said Lancelot made of lands and slaves
aforesaid and do devise the saine to my son William Lee and his heirs forever. Item, I
give and bequeath to ray dear Daughter, Eli/.abeth Lee, one thousand pounds current money
of Virginia, to be paid to her by ray Executors when she arrives lo the age of twenty one
years or is married, which ever shall first happen, upon condition she relinquish, before the
said one thousand pounds are paid to her, all right or title she may have or claim to a negro
wench called Judy's Alice, which wench I bought of one Minor and formerly promised to
give to my said Daughter Elii'al)eth. But, if my said Daughter Elizabeth, refuses to make
such relinquishment of her right to the said negro Alice and her increase, I then revoke
the legacy of one thousand pounds before given and give her only eight hundred pounds
current money in lieu thereof. Item, I give unto my good friend Col". Richard Henry Lee
my Staunton gun. Item, I give to my son George Fairfax Lee one hundred head of neat
i a"; ; li,'
1 < tO--
■i; 1., '
,■■,!'■::
„>l
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. I43
cattle and such other stock as my Ex'ors. shall think necessary for his plantations. I also give
my said son the (>.iilt worked by his Mother, all his Mother's and my books, my Grandfather's
Picture and my Father's Picture set in gold, tlie mourning ring I expect from England for his
Mother, all the plate in the house, Col. lairfax's Snufl" }!ox, and George's Mother's stone
buttons set in gold which are in the said Snuff Box. Item, I give to my Daughter Eliza-
beth the Mourning Ring which I wore for her late Mother, as also the great Bible and Com-
mon Prayer-Book which were her Mother's. Item, I give to my son Lancelot Lee a seal
set in gold with the family coat of arms cut thereon which was given to me by my friend
Col. lUchard Lee. Item, I desire that my charriot and charriot horses and all blooded
horses, mares and colts may be sold, but that in order to have them sold to the greatest ad-
vantage the time and place of sale be advertised in the Virginia Gazette. Item, I desire
that all my household furniture and other personal estate except what is specially given by
this my la^t Will, and Except such stock as my Executors shall think proper to keep for the
use of my said sons plantations, may be sold for the most that can be got for them. Item,
I give to ray son William Lee two guineas to purchase him a mourning ring for his Mother.
Item, sucli stocks as my Executors shall think proper to be kept for my sons Lancelot and
William and all the rest of my persona! estate, after my debts and legacies are paid, I give
to my sons Lancelot and William, to be equ.ally divided between them, v.-hcn Lancelot shall
shall arrive to the age of twenty-one years, but if either of my said two sons die before they
arrive to the age of twenty one years without issue, then I give the whole to the Sur\-ivor.
Item, it is my earnest will and desire that my Executors as soon after my death as con-
veuiency will admit of, send my son George lairt'ax Lee to England to the care of my friend
Mr. James Russell, to receive his Education there. Item, if my Executors think they can
have my two sons Lancelot and William well Educated cheaper in England than in Virginia,
I do give them the power of sending them, but leave the sending them or not to their discre-
tion, not doubting they will take the necessary care of their Education. Item, I do Imixjwer
my friends Col'^. George William Fairfax, Colo. Richard Monry Lee, Col'^ Richard Lee, Mr.
Bryant Fairfax and Capt. John Turberville, whom I hereby appoint guardians to all my
children, to lease out or sell any of back lands that are hereinbefore given to my two sons
Lancelot and William (before they arrive to their respective ages of twenty one) and what-
ever sum or sums of money arrise from the sale of such lands or any part thereof, I desire
may be put out at interest on good security and that the same be paid to such son that the
land so scld is devised to by this Will, when lie shall arrive to the age of twenty one years.
Item, I desire my Dauglitev Eliiaheth mny lie suitably maintained out of my Estate untill she
arrives to the age of twenty one or is married, whichever shall first hapjjen. Item, I request
of my Executors that they will not put the wench, called home house Kate, to the hoe or
any hard latour but keep her whilst it is necessary, to wait on and take care of the children,
and when there shall be no need of such service that she be kept to making the negioes
cloathes or such like business I likewise reiiuest of my Executors that they never permit
any other kind or sort of Tobacco than sweet scented to be tended on the old house planta-
tion or the Lower plantation under the Hill and that they ship all my Tobaccos and do not
sell them in the Country and I recommend it to them to consign such Tobaccos to my
friend .Mr. James Russell as long as he continues in the Tobacco Trade. I also desire that
the goods, Cloaths and tools wanted for the use of the negroes and plantations may be yearly
sent fur to England and none purchased in the Country but what there is an absolute neces-
sity for, and la.-tly I do nominate and appoint my good friends the said Richard Henry Lee,
Riehartl Lee, and John rurherville Executors of this my last Will and Testament hereby
revoaking every other Will and Testament heretofore bv me made. In Witness whereof I
I' -t; ■ t
144 ^^^ '^^ VIRGINIA. •
the Said George Lee have to this my hist Will and Testament set my hand and Seal ih
thirteenth day of September 1761.
Richard Henry Lee, one of the executors of this estate, kept ari account
of receipts and {layments in the neatest and uiosi clerk-like manner ; from
this account, in his own writing, a few extracts are given :
1762, 9th March, received by cash of Mr. Lane for prize.", in the
Northern Lottery, X^o- ^^^ June, '"By 4 hhds. Tob: received fiorn Mr.
Pierce for Clerks fees, 4004 libs." 29th. July, '• Uy 4 hhds. 'i^ob: from
Mr. Pierce for Clerks fees, 4045 libs." 24th. November. ''By Cash from
Col°. George Washington for rent, ^82.10." On the side of payments
there are frequent entries of a guinea or several guineas to " Miss I'etty Lee
for pocket money." But the boys fared rather better, for he gave "Mr.
Geo. Lee for pocket money, /^i2. The doctors also did well, even m •' ye
olden time," for "' Dr. Steptoe's medical account of ^'27.10," was a good
one for those days, when a guinea was of considerable value. Nor did
the executor fail to kee}) an exact account ; consequently he charged up
"postage on Mr. Lancelot Lee's letter, Sd."
Of the twu children by his first wife, only the daughter survi\ed him ;
all three sons by his second Nvife survi\-ed. as named in his will:
i, Richard \ born i3ih of August, 1739: died in infancy.
ii, Elizabeth \ born on the 21st of Noveml)er, 1750, and died, unmar-
ried, on the 19th of ^L^y, 182S, in her 7Sth year.
iii, George FAiKrAx\ See 25.
iv, Lan'celot\ .See 26.
V, WiMiAM^ born the r 7th of November, 175S; died, unmarried, on th.e
19th of ^^ay, 1838.
THb: WORMELEVS.
The tn-st members of this family, in Virginia, appear to have been two
brothers, Christopher and Ralphe \\'ormeley, who were descended from
"Sir John de Wormele, Hadneld, county ^'ork, England, Knt., 1312."'
Captain Christojiher ^\'ormeley was the acting governor of Tortugas Island
in 1631-35, when, owing to son^.e negligence of his, the Spaniards capturetl
the island, and he was conipelled to flee. He reached Virginia in 1635, and
received grants for some 1.450 acres in Charles River coimty, the 27th of
January, 163S ; he was a member of the Cvnincil in 1637. His death
'This account of the Wor:i>.:leys is tal<en, almost cnurely, from that givt-n by Mr. H,iyden(/a.
Ctr.ratu^ies, pp. jjo-31), with a few chinges sug^estcr^i by -Mr. W. G, Stjnar.I, of Richmond.
1 , ■ 1
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION.
MS
occurred about 1649, whether with or without heirs is not clearly proven,
but he devised land to his brother, Ralph. (The Christopher given below
as his nephew might have been his son.)
Captain Ralph Worrneley, of "Rosegill," Middlesex county, was born
about 1620, and died about 16^-5; "he was a member of the Council as
early as 1649, '^^'d was re-appointed in 1650 by Charles 11. , then at Breda "
(\V. G. Stanard) : he married, about 1640-45, Agatha, a daughter of Richard
Eltonhead, of Eltonhcad, county Lancaster, England (whose younger sister
married Henry Corbin) ; after his death, the widow marrie'd,,Sir Henry
Chicheley, Knt., and deputy governor of Virginia in 1678, being his
second wife. Ralph ^Vormeley received 3,000 acres in Virginia, 2d of
October, 1649, '^ P'^^^ o^ which had
i£
.M^r
#.
'f^i,>7
been formerly granted Capt. Christo-
pher Wormeley, on the 27th of Janu-
ary, 1638, and the rest had been
assigned by Ralph Read and P'rancis
Carter to Robert Todd, who sold to
Ralph Wormeley, and 1,545 acres due
to the latter as executor and heir to
Capt. Christopher Wormeley (which
would seem to imply that the testa-
tor had left no male issue). Ralph
Wormeley also received (23d of March,
1640) a grant for 237 acres on Rap-
pahannock River, at the mouth of
Nimcock Creek, for five persons. His
children were, probably, as follows :
i, Col. Christopher was a member of the Council, i6lE^6i, and later; he was
one of those proscribed by Bacon in his proclamation against Governor
Berkeley and his friends; he married a Mrs. Aylmer, for, in 1671, he
brought suit as the husband of the relict of the Rev. Justinian Aylmer (of
Jamestown, and minister of Hampton Parish, 1665-7, a2t. 26). "Frances
Wormeley, wife of Col. Christopher Wormeley, died the 25th of May,
16S5, and was buried in the garden the next day." He had a daughter,
Judith, born in May, 1683, and probably others, ii, Ralph, of whom
later, iii, "AyluH?rj^^iv oT-'H'tfn. -^afplv"-\Vormeley, died the i6th -^i
Januftryj -1-64^707" r.:.; r-,.,. j .„..,' .-k .'>%,.:,,„.,„, ^'./..c^-oj „ .■A..-...,,.^-" ,...r. .-^^-..^v,,./.,.-
Col. Ralph V/ormeley, of "Rosegill," second son, was born about
1650, and diedvon the -54h-0f-De€«Hvtjer-,-i-^3-; he matriculated at Oriel
College, Oxford, Uie^i4th of July, 1665 ; according to a published list of
10 '^n- // ■-:•>/ :ij -T'-
8 6
1 .i,.:jK'.J ii
\ y AW ■'■'.
.;-'?
i. 4 , >
.v:!. )ron ■ J
146 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
members of the Council, Ralph Wormeley, 1670, and Ralph Wormcley,
Jr., 1673, were nieiiiber?;.^ The son was Secretary of State in 1693, and
President of the Council; he was also Collector of Naval Duties, etc., for
the Rappahannock River. He was twice married ; his first wife was the
widow of Capt. Peter Jenings, attorney-general of Va., and a daughter of
Sir Thomas Lunsford ; in 1674, Captain Ralph Wormeley brought suit as
the husband of the relict of Captain Peter Jenings; "the Hon. Lady
Madame Catharine Wormeley," died on the 17th of May, 1685; their
daughter, Catharine, married Gavrin Corbin, and died withoui issue.
Ralph Wormeley's second wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Col. John .Vrmi-
stead, "the Councillor," who was a son of William Armistead, the Immi-
grant; her younger brother, William, married, Anna, the daughter, of
Hancock and Mar} (Kendall) Pee. The record gives the marriage "at
Col. Armistead's Feb'y 16, 1687, Madame Elizabeth Armistead of Glou-
cester;" Ralph Wormeley had issue: i, Elizabeth, who married, in 1703,
John Lomax (16 74-1 7 29), the son of the Rev. John Lomax. ii, Ralph,
who died unmarried, at William and Mary College, in 1700. iii, John, of
whom later, iv, Judith, who married, in 171 2, the Hon. Mann Page, of
"Rosewell," Gloucester county, a grandson of Col. John Page, the
Virginia Immigrant ; she was his first wife, and left issue two sons and a
daughter, at her death on the 12th of December, 1716, aged 22.
John Wormeley, of "Rosegill," Middlesex, was born in 1689, and
died in 1726; his will (dated the 15th of April, 1735) names his wife
Elizabeth, to whom he gave one-half of his real estate. She died in 1743,
and by her will (dated the 3d of March, 1743) gave her son, John, 650
acres in York county; he was also the heir to 2,000 acres of entailed land,
"Portobago," held formerly by his sister, Elizabeth Lomax, which entail
he broke (Xov., 1 762) to fulfill his father's will (Hening, V, 85 ; VIII, 452).
He had issue: Ralph. Elizabeth, Sarah, Judith, Agacha, and John. Of
these, Judith married George Lee, as stated. This John held land in Mid-
dlesex, Gloucester, King William, York and Caroline counties.
Ralph, the elde.-,t son, was a member of the Council in 1764, and
Burgess, 1743 to 1764, with but few interruptions; he was twice married;
first, to Sally, daughter of Col. Edmund Berkeley, of "Barn Elms,"
Middlesex, and, secondly, to Jane, daughter of Jeoffrey Bolles. He had
issue: i, Ralph (i 744-1806), member of Council, 1771, of the Conven-
tion of 17SS, and of the House of Delegates, 1787-90; he married
Eleanor, daughter of John Tayloe, of " Mt. Airy," and had issue; she
1 See ly. ami Af. ColUgt Quarttrlj, 111,6;.
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION.
147
died the 23d oT February, 1815, in her 60th year (^Old Churches, Fatnilies,
kc, II. 371). ii, James, who married twice; first, Ariana Randolph, and
was tlie father of Ralph Randolph Wormeley, Admiral, R. N.
John, the second son, Burgess from Middlesex, married Elizabeth,
daughter of \Viriiani Tayloe, and had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married
William Digges, and also a son, John Wormeley. William Tayloe, of
I.ancaster (will dated 5th February, 1767), devised 800 acres to William
Digges, who had married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of John Wormeley,
and granddaughter of testator (VIII, Hening, 452).
"Rosegill, where," wrote Bishop Meade, "the Wormeleys lived in
English state," was situated high upon the banks of the Rappahannock
River, a few miles from old Christ Church. It was a large and handsome
specimen of old colonial mansion. Bishop Meade also stated that a piece
communion service of five pieces had been presented to Christ Church by
the Hon. Ralph Wormeley, and in his list of the vestrymen of this parish,
dating from 1663 to 1767, he named five Wormeleys, who were probably
of successive generations.
THE FAIRFAX FAMILY.
This family traces its tlescent from Richard Fairfax, Lord Chief Jus-
tice of England in the reign of Henry VI., whose third son, Sir Guy, also
bred to the law, was Attorney-General, and, later, Justice of the King's
Bench, in the reigns of Edward IV., Rich-
ard III., and Henry VII. Sir Guy built
Steton Castle, in the county of York; mar-
ried Margaret, daughter of Sir William
Ryther, and had Sir William, his heir, and
Thomas, who married Cecily, daughter of f'f, \^
Sir Robert Manners, ancestor of the Duke '<
of Rutland. Sir William, who succeeded,
was Sheriff, a Justice of the Common Pleas
in the time of Henry VIII. ; his son, also
Sir William, was Sheriff of Yorkshire in
same reign. He, in turn, was succeeded
by his son, Sir Thomas, who accompanied
the Earl of Essex into France, where he was
knighted by him for his bravery in the camp before Rouen. On the 4th
of May, 1627, he was created a'Baron of Scotland by Charles I.
His son, Ferdinando, 2d Baron, was a General in the Parliamentary
C
1
J :'■
. iir If"//
148 LEE OK VIRGINIA.
army, as was also his own son and successor, Sir Thomas Fairfax, who was
for some tliuc the Com!"!iai;der-in-Chief of the Parliamentary army and a very
successful officer. He became dissatisfied \vith the courses of Parliament,
resigned in 1650, and v.as succeeded by Oliver Cromwell. He later as-
sisted General Monk in cfi'ecting the restoration of Charles H., and v/as
until his death in favor v.-ith that monarch. He died in 1671 without male
issue, when the title passed to his cousin, Henry, 4th Baron, and grandson
of Thomas, ist Baron. Thomas, 5ih Baron, married Catharine, only daugh-
ter and heir of Thomas, Tord Culpeper, the Proprietor of the Northern
Neck. Their eldest son, Thomas, 6lh rnirori, inherited the grant and l)e-
came the Proijrietor. Me died iu t?-^, and was s'^cceeded by his brother.
H^ary, who died in i-fn'S^/' Of^hsrac^Bishop Meade has written: "Lord
Fairfax was a man of tl.'e most perfect English education, Oxford being
his Alvia Afafcr. ... In 1739 he visited his estates in Virginia, and was
so pleased with the cou.ntry that he determined to settle there. During
this visit he became acquainted with and attached to young George Wash-
ington, theji only sixteen years of age. The affection was returned on
the part of Washington, and he readily accepted the proposition of Lord
Fairfax to become surveyor of all his lands. \'\'ashington continued for two or
three years in the service of Lord Fairfax, and as public surveyor for Western
Virginia. At the death of-L^^wv^. Lore] Fairfax, the title fell to his only sur-
viving brotlier, Robert^ in England, and at his death, which occurrea^^oon-
aft€r, to the Rev. Bryan Fairfax."
The Rev. Bryan Fairfax, who thus inherited the title, was the youngest
surviving son of William Fairfax, of " Belvoir," in Fairfax county, and his 2''
wife, who was a Miss •C.-.tr)-. William was the son of Flenry, the second son of
Flenry, 4th Baron. Pie was President of the Council and for a long time
the manager of the Fairfax estates in Virginia. His daughter, x\nne, married
first, Lav/rence Washington, of Mt. \'ernon, and, secondly, George Lee, as
previously stated. Another daughter, Hannah, married Warner Wa.shington,
of "Fairfield."
The title is nov/ hiCld by John Contee Fairfax, of Prince George's
county, Md. He was born on the 13th of September, 1S30 ; has-orie-son^
and three daughters.
"Squire" Richard Lee, or Marvland.
8. Richard *, eldest son of Philip Lee * (Richard ', Richard ') by Sarah
Brooke, his first wife, was born ^'^f-^' ; died intestate about the year 1787.
He was a member of the Proprietors' Council in 1755 ; ^^^" married Grace
Ashton, daughter of Col. Henry Ashton, of Westmoreland county. On the
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 1 49
28th of May, 1745, Richard Lee, of Maryland, and Grace, his wife, exe-
cuted a deed to Thomas Lee of Virginia. (Westmoreland records.) Here-
tofore it has been erroneously stated that Grace Ash ton married Philip,
not Richard, Lee. A comjarison of the wills of Col. Henry Ashton
and Grace Lee shows that the latter devised land given by the former to his
daughter, Grace Ashton.
Col. Henry Ashton, of Westmoreland, was a son of John Ashton by
Grace, his wife. He was "born in Westmoreland, the 30th day of July,
1670," and died in 1731 ; was Sheriff of that county, 1717-18. Henry
Ashton was twice married; first to "Elizabeth, daughter of William Hard-
idge, Gent., by Francis, his wife, by who'll he had four daughters: PVances,
Elizabeth, Ann, and Grace. The last only survived him." (Ashton family
records.) His second wife was Mary (Watts?), by whom he apparently had
two scms : Henry and John. Mr. Hayden gives this abstract of his will :
The will of "Mr. Henry Ashton, Gent," of Cople Parish, Westmore-
land, dated the 26th of February, 1730; probated 24th of November, 1731,
names his wife Mary, executrix, with Capt. Geo. Turberville, Capt. Jkir-
dett Ashton, Mr. Andrew Monroe and Richard Watts ; gives daughter, (rrace
Ashton, 1,000 acres, called " Poore Jack," granted Col. Wm. Hardidge,
15th of September, 1651-3, and 1.200 acres of " Peyton's Level," graiitcd
Col. Valentine Peyton, 22 July, 1662; the said Grace to make over to
Eliza'h and Ann Aylett, daughters of his daughter, Anne Ashton, dec'd,
and her husband, Capt. Wm. Aylett, Jr., the land called "Sturmans,"
which he gave Anne at marriage : also to granddaughter Elizabeth Turber-
ville, S50 acres of "Peyton's Level," and to granddaughters Eliza'h and
Anne Aylett the rest, 400 acres of Pey toil's Level ; also his land " Nominy,"
1,000 acres granted to Col. Thomas Speke, 16 September, 165 1. To sons
Henry and John Ashton lands and copper mines in Stafford Co., and lands
in Westmoreland Co. To cousin Burdett Ashton, 1,000 acres in Stafford.
To godson, John, son of Mr. Charles Ashton, 1,700 acres in Stafford. To
his sister, Mrs. Sarah Macgill, aring. (la. Genealogifs, 4S9.)
Compare with this abstract, the following will of Grace Lee ; it was
dated the i8th of November, 17S7, and [)robated, in Charles county, Md.,
on the 22d of October, 1789:
■ '■ "'" . . ■ ,
In the name of God, Anicn. I Grace Lee, of Charles county, in the .State of Mary-
land bein^ sick and weak in body but of sound mind and memory and understanding con-
sidering the certainty of <lt.A\ and iho unccitainty of the time thereof, and being desirous
to settle ray worldly atVairs, and thereby be- the better prepared to leave this world when it
shall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last Will and
Testament in manner and i'orm following, tiiat is to say:
.1, ■
J,:.; ,, it !;,vO /jl^r;;!'.: r- ..)»;.;
■ 1 i
l-,}r' ' ;■'.
MIIV
l.,r»rxi'
|.,-;r;'/; fr •";'r'. .i^'t!'''. .,v
■ .■■.li" I .1 ' ?' i'"'' ' '■■ ' i'^'" ^'' ' '■*'■*
15^ • ' LEE OF VIRGINIA.
First, and principally I commit my Soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body
to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named, and
after my debts and funeral charges are paid, I devise and bequeath as follows. I give and
devise unto my well beloved daughters Elir.or Ann Lee and Alice Lee all my lands lying in
Richmond county in the State of Virginia commonly called and known by name of Paytons
Levels, containing by estimation about 1400 acres, be the same more or less, to them the
said Elinor Ann Lee and Alice Lee and their heirs in fee simple, to be equally divided be-
tween tJiem.
Item I give and devise unto my said daughters Elinor Ann Lee and Alice Lee all my
land lying in Westmoreland county in the State of Virginia (one of which tracts or parcels
of land is commonly called and known by the name of Poor Jack containing about 600 acres
be the same more or less, and the other is commonly called and known by the name of Stur-
man containing by estimation about 60 acres be the same more or less) which said two tracts
or parcels of land I give and devise to them the said Elinor Ann Lee and Alice Lee, and
their heirs in fee sim.ple to be equally divided between them.
Item. I give and devise unto my said daughters Elinor Ann Lee and Alice Lee my other
Lands, which I now have or may hereafter claim interest or estate in of what nature or kind
soever lying and being in either of the aforesaid countys and State aforesaid to them and
their heirs and assigns forever, in as full ample and extensive manner as the nature of the
lands will or may admit of, to be equally divided between my said daughters their heirs and
assigns and to their sole and simple use respectively without let or molestation of any person
or persons claiming or may claim by from or under me.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Grandson Russell Lee one full half of all the negroes
I may in any manner be entitled to or have in possession at the time of my death, to him
the said Rus.sell Lee, his heirs and assigns forever. Item. I give and bequeath to each of my
Granddaughters, Sarah Russell Lee, Ann Lee, Elinor Lee, and Margaret Russell Lee, a
Negro girl to be from twelve to fifteen years of age each, to mysaid Granddaughters respect-
ively, and to their heirs and assigns forever.
Item. The residue and remainder of the negroes I shall be possessed of or in any man-
ner entitled to at the time of ray death and which are*not herein given or intended to be given or
bequeathed, I give and bequeath unto my daughters P:iinor Ann Lee and Alice Lee.to them and
their heirs and assigns forever, to be equally divided between them. Item. All the remainino-
part of my personal estate goods and chattels of any and every nature or kind soever not herein
before be<iueathed or disposed of by me, I give and be.jueath unto my son Richard Lee, my
daughters Elinor /\nn Lee and Alice Lee, my grandson Russell Lee, my granddaughters ."^arah
Russell Lee, Ann Lee, Elinor Lee and Margaret Russell Lee, to them their heirs and assigns
forever, to be equally aportioned, di.^ributed and divided amongst them share and share alike.
And I astly I hereby ordain constitute and appoint my much esteemed son in law Philip
Richard Eendall Esqr. and my beloved daughters Elinor .\nn Lee and Alice Lee to be my
executors of this my last Will and Testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me
heretofore made, ratif>-ing and confinning this and none other to be my last Will and Testa-
ment. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and at^Lxed my seal, this eighteenth
day of November Anno Domini Seventeen hundred and eighty seven, — signed, sealed, pub-
lir,bed and declared by Grace' I ee the above mentioned testatrix as for her last Will and
Testament in the presence of us, who at her request and in her presence, have subscribed our
names as witnesses thereto.
Indorsed on the back of this will was the following :
..1 .y II, A
STRATFORD MNE, FOURTH GENERATION. I5I
Blenheim, 25th October, 'So.
Sir: — The ri:,'ht of adiniiiistrntion, De bonis noii, on the estate of my honored father
being in me, an>l also the joint executorship of the last will and testament of my dear
deceased mother; but as I do not intend to interfer in either of these ca>es, it may be neces-
sary to infonu you that I rehnquish my title to the administration and Executorship al>ove
mentioned and I do this in behalf of my trusty friend P. R. Kendall Ksquirc, -v\ho is so kind
as to undertake tjie unfinished administration of my father's estate and also the Executorship
of my mother's will. It i.-. my request that he should be appointed to both these duties and
that letters may be taken out in his name.
(Signed) Elixor Ann Lee.
A coin{)arison of these wills proves conclusively that " Grace 1-ee," the
testatrix, was the daugliter of Henry Ashton ; and the certificate of the
Register of Wills for Charles county shows that she was the wife of Richard
I.,ee. His certificates were:
" On the 2d day of October 17S9, Letters Testamentary on the Estate
of Grace Lee were granted and committed unto Philip Richard Fendall, the
acting Executor and his bond with Benjamin Contee and Matthew Blair, his
sureties, was taken in the sum of ^2000 current money for due administra-
tion."
"1-etters ^/e bonis non on the testate of the late Richard Lee, were also
granted unto Philip Richard Fendall, with ^10,000 security."
Elinor Ann Lee asked that Mr. Fendall be appointed administrator of
her father's estate; the court records show that he was appointed adminis-
trator of the estate of " the late Richard Lee."
It will be observed that Grace Lee made no mention of her second son,
Philip Thomas Lee, who was dead ; property was bequeathed to his children.
She also referred to Philip Richard Fendall as her "son-in-law;" but made
no bequest to his wife nor to any children. This can only be explained on
the theory that Mrs. Fendall was dead and without issue ; or it may be that
"son-in-law" was an error for brother-in-law; for it b.as been stated that
a Fendall married Eleanor, sister of Grace Lee's husband and that she died
From Grace Lee's will, the ibllowing issue are given as the children of
Richard and Grace (Ashton) Lee :
i, Richard \ said to b.ave died in 1S34, and without issue. Had evi-
dently been an invalid for many years prior to his death, for his
sister, Elinor Ann Lee, in her will of 1S05, requested that "the
Rev. Mr. Contee's and his wife's attention may be extended to-
wards their atnicted L'ncle, rny said Brother, as far as his remote
situation may admit, and I do also authorize and empower them
fully to transact all his concerns."
■■n^'j.o •.'.' l;f '! )I
, , . , 1 • .
.f .
■ ^i: f I'l 'VJ. ! , ,"
'.Vfi
■J --■-, ''T,
152 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
It is possible that this was the brother whose full name was Philip
Richard Irancis, that he was the officer who served as a captain in the
ContineiiUil T.inc, was v/ounded at the battle of Brandywine, and to
whose representatives the following (Virginia) land warrants were
issued; if so, he must have served from Virginia:
^'O- 3 1 75' 2ist of July, 1784, to the representatives of Philip
Richard Francis Lee, for 4,000 acres, due for three years' service as a
captain.
No. 4^6"], ist of October, 1798, for 4,000 acres, " for services for
the war."
No. Cji?."]. 6th of November, 1S45, ^*^^ ^^4/i acres to Alice A.
Kent and Eciijamin Contee. .
No. 9 1 28, for 184; 3 acres to E. A. Contee, Eliza Lyson, and
Sarph E. Fend all.
No. 9129. for iT4}i acres to all before mentioned as heirs of
Capt. P. R. F. Lee for seven years and eight months' service, less
amounts already received.
In 1S45, in establisliing claim for bounties, it was proven that the
heir of P. R. F. Lee v/a.- Richard Lee, whose son, Philip Thomas
Lee (the only son to leave issue) had these children: i, Sarah Rus-
sell, who Married the Rev. Penj. Contee. 2, Margaret Russell, who
married Janies Clerklee (and had issue: Eleanor Russell, who mar-
ried Edward Henry Grette ; Caroline R., who married Josias Haw-
kins, of Charles county, Md. ; Eliza, who married Lyson ;
Emily, who married Thos. D. Fendall, of Charles county, Md.).
3, Eleanor, who married William Dawson. 4, Ann, who married
William Gamble.
- . As all these heirs of Pliilip Richard FVancis Lee inherited from
him thro'.\gh their grandfather, Richard Lee, it seems evident he
must have been the father of this Capt. P. R. F. Lee.
ii, Philip Thom.^s *. See 27.
iii, Elinor Ann \ Died, evidently, unmarried, on 17th May, 1S06. She
left a lengthy and intricate v/ill, detailing minutely the provisions for
her various bequests. An abstract only is given here. It is signed by
her maiden name, thus showing her to have died unmarried ; dated
the 19th of October, 1S05, and a codicil was added on the 7th of No-
vember; probated in Charles couiUy, Maryland, 12th of August, i8c6.
She desired some lands in Kentucky and "Sturmans," in Virginia, to
be sold for tlie payment o\ her debts ; " Peytons Levells " and " Poor
Jack," in Virginia, were left to her niece, Sarah Russell Contee, during
; '\ fi
'•.■: J
fj,:'j ■ r, A
' ' ' ?-'r.iI ',.'1
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. I53
the term of natural life of her brother, Richaid Lee ; at his death the
land called " Poor Jack " was to be divided between her nieces, Ann
Lee, Margaret Russell Clerklee, and Elinor Dawson; to her '-'niece
Sarah Russell Contee, her heirs and assigns, all which I hold of a tract
of land in Virginia, whether lying in Westmoreland or Richmond
countys . . . called and known by the name of Peytons Levells ;" at
her niece's death the land was to go to her children, " Elinor Contee,
Alice Lee Contee, Philip Ashton Lee Contee and Edmund Henry
Contee," all living in 1S05. To the same niece, Sarah Russell Con-
tee, was given "a certain tract of land at Nominy, which was con-
veyed to me, on the fourth of July Seventeen hundred and ninety eight
by Richard Henry Lee, Richard Lee and George Washington ...
for the term of my Brother Richard's natural life," and at his death
to be divided as the laws of Virginia should order. Two Maryland
negroes were left to her goddaughter and great niece, Caroline Clerklee ;
to great nephews Philip Ashton Lee Contee and Edmund Henry Con-
tee, some silver; to great nieces Sarah Elinor Contee, Alice Lee
Contee, some silver ; the Rev. Benjamin Contee was appointed sole
executor. No mention was made of her sister, Alice Lee, or of Philip
Richard J-endall, nor of any heirs of the sarne.
(Note. — The date given above for the deed signed by Richard . .
Henry Lee, etc., must be an error ; he died on the 19th of June, i 794.)
iv, Alice \ T\\it Maryland Journal, under date of ist of April, 17SS,
gives this : " Married a few days ago at Blenheim in Charles county,
John Weems, late resident of the State of Delaware, to Miss Alice Lee,
daughter of the Hon. Richard Lee, deceased." "Miss Alice Lee of
Md." stood sponsor, on the loth of October, 1777, for Cassius, son
of R. H. Lee ; probably this was the Alice so mentioned.
' TRANCis Lee.
9. Francis*, (second) son of Philip Lee^ (Richard ^ Richard*) by,
Sarah Brooke, his fust wife, was born , and died in Cecil county, Md.,
in 1749. He had been clerk of that county since 1746, and had been also
a deputy from Dorset county, for in i 746 an election was held to choose a
successor to *• Mr. Francis Lee, Esti." (J///. Archives). He probably moved
from Dorset to Cecil in that year. Mr. Francis Lee offered for lease his
" late NLinsion House on the Northwest fork of the Nanticoke River " (Md.
Ga:.ette, 30th January, 1747-S).
Francis Lee married Elizabeth Hollyday, as stated in his will, and left
three children. She was probably the daughter of Col. Leonard Plollyday,
; '. »
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154 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
of " Brookfield," who is said to have married a Semmes/ but may have been
twice married. In his will Francis Lee mentions his brother-in-law, Thomas
Hollyday, and a James Hollyday. This Elizabeth had a brother, Thomas,
and an uncle, the Hon. James Hollyday ; these are the only clews which
connect his wife with the daughter of Dr. Leonard Hollyday.
His will, dated the 15th of September, and probated the 21st of No-
vember, 1749, was as follows :
In the Name of God, Amen. I Francis Lee, late of Checil County in the Province of
Maryland in the [liist] place do give and bequeath my sou! into the Almighty God that gave
it to be bery'd in a decent manner according to rightious Institution hoping a blessed Man-
sion of eternity, A;c. Item. I give unto my beloved Wife Eliz'a Lee all the Right and Inter-
est shft had in murringe with me for which her jointure made her; she had a jointure made
her for two Negro with her to sell they not being very likely Viz: James son of Peter and
Pegg Daughter of Kate and the Interest I bought of Philip Cakeor in Cecil County and all
the Tobacco Debts due me for Clks fees in said County and elsewhere. Item. I give and
bequeath unto my daughter Amelia Lee the negro Girl I gave her a good while Whesst by
way of Bill of Sale Viz Silver. Item. I give to my son Francis Leonard Lee two negroes
called Darby and Moli. Item. I give to the said Francis Leonard Lee all my dwelling
Plantation in Dorset County called Rehoboth to him and hi.- heirs forever. Item. I give to
my son Lancelot Richard Thos. Lee a Tract of land called Lee's first Purchase containing
317 acres lying on the North East Fork of Nanticoke River, to him and his heirs forever.
Item.. I give to the said Lancelot several tracts of land lying on Broad Creek in Somerset
and Worchester Countys to him and his holts forever. Item. I give to my wife Elizabeth
l>ee a Track of Land in Dorset County where the ship was built containing 50 acres to her
and her heirs forever. Item. I give to my son Francis Leonard Lee two tracts of Land
bought from John Smith joining to Rehoboth to him and his heirs forever— and I also
bequeath to the said rVuncis Leonard all Tracts of Land whatsoever that I have any right to
except those Lands willed as above. I give to my wife Eiiz. Lee my large riding Horse a
little gray mare, a Iwb'd tail bay Horse and the chair, and all my household Furniture of
what kind so ever except my Plate w^t' proi.erly belongs to my Daughter Amelia Lee which
is to belong to my said Wife till my Daughter Amelia Comes to age. Item. I give to
Doctr. Benj. Bradford my bay Horse k'--^ I bought from Peter Commerford. Item. I give
to my son Lancelot two Negro Boys n:\n\cd Tony and Peter to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give to my daughter Amelia two negroes call'd Pompey and Dan to her and her
heirs forever. Item. It is my will that my E.state shall not be separated for the space of two
years till my Delits arc paid and the Tob : and Debts due to me are collected. Item. I do
will and apjx)int my well l.elove«i wife Elizabeth my sole Executrix of this my last Will and
Testament and none other. And I appoint Mr. James HoUiday and Doct^. Benj. Bradford
to asiist my Wife in making up the above Estate w"i the Comisary and all other things
needfull. Item. I leave unto Mr. James Holliday my riding Pi-tols. And I will after all
my just debts are paid that the residue of my person.all Estate be equally divided between
my wife and children. Amongst w^h Debts I doe declare the debts due to Edmund Jennings
Esqr. and Robert Swan are not justly claimed and several others too teadious to name. And
I request it of my Brother in Law Tho'' Holliday and Mr. Francis Warrim in Company w'l'
I 0!J Ktnt, by George .\. Hinson, J47.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 1 55
John Cook Es jr. to settle my at'tn.irs concerning the ship Paglo and Ann \v'^ James Russell
and Henry Red Ciah in Company, ar.d to see uiy Estate has justice done it. As to the
Debts due to Capt. Allen and Davis I left in the hands of Edmund Jenings Esqr. twenty
Thousand Wt. of Tob : to pay them; the overplus to be returned to me — and I have ordered
my Attorney in Dorset Capt. Cliarles Dickinson to pay Benj. Fisher Esqr. the Sterling money
I owe him. I order Capt. Charles I)ickinson to pay his Excellency Sam'l Ogle Esqr. the
money due him for Licenses w^'t^ money I was disappointed of by two Gentlemen when last
at Annajxj'is tho' they faithfully jiromised. Signed, iSic, i-Vc., 15th September, 1749.
As named in this will, tiie issue of Francis and Elizabeth (Hollyday)
Lee were two sons and a daughter. From the wording of the will it is
])robable that the two sons were of age in 1749; but the daughter was not.
i, Francis Leonard \
ii, Lancelot Richard Thomas^.
iii, Amelia ^
Philip Lee.
10. Philip^ (third) son of Philip Lee ^ (Richard ^ Richard'), and
Sarah P.rooke, his first wife, was born , and died in the summer of
1739; he lived in Charles county, Maryland. His will, dated i ;th of
April, and probated 3d of July, 1739, was as follows :
In the name of God, Amen. I Philip Lee Jun'" of Charles County being weak of body
but sound of memory, blessed be God, do this 17th day of April, in the year of our Lord
Christ 1739 make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner following, First
1 bequeath my Soul to .\lmighty God who gave it me and my body to the earth whence it
came, after such manner as my executors hereafter named shall think fit, that is to say after
my just debts and funeral expenses are paid, I dispose of my worldly goods as follows.
Imprimis I give to my dearly beloved Wife Bridgett Lee, during her widowhood, one negro
man called Tom, which said negro is now an apprentice to Joel Andrew Mimistree Joiner
but at the death or marriage of her my said wife my will and pleasure is that the same negro
man be the property of my son Philip Lee, his heirs and assigns. Item. My will and pleas-
ure i^ that when a certain tract of Land called Lee Langley is recovered out of the hands of
a certain William Wilkinson of Charles County that then the same be immediately sould by
my Lx'rs lirreat"ter named ami the produce thereof be equally divided amongst my three
d.aiigliters namely, Sarah, Eli.'abeth and Lettice Lee or the survivors of them, their heirs and
assigns, which said part of my Daughters Portion my will and pleasure is shall be paid to
them at the day of their marriage or at twenty one years of age. Item. My desire is that all
the remaining part of my personal Estate after debts paid and rec'd be div'd as the law
directs. I make and ordain my dear and honoured Father Philip Lee Esqr. my dear
Brothers Francis Lee, Ilenrv Lee and Thomas Lee, Executors of this my Last Will and
Testament. In witness whereof, &c., ^vc.
On tlie 3d of July, 1739, Henry Lee, one of the executors named in
this will, renounced his executorship, a;s he was "determined to goe di-
rectly to England;" this renunciation was witnessed by Philip, the father,
■-(i i . il m!
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156 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
and Hancock, the brother. N'o mention was made in the will of Philip
Lee, Sr., of a son, Henry; he rnay have settled i;ernianenily in England or
have died without issue, before the date of his father's will. The children
of Philip and JJridyet Lee, as named in his will, were:
i, Philip*. ^ !;3j cxt •::3. rh.i,'^. Lc?, a^.j uy...,. 2.-?' oc^. last ..^.^!K--,•q. 17^0 <'H..ov.-,c.ni^rt^.
u, Sarah*. ^
iii, Elizabeth*. '
iv, Lettice*.
' Tno-MAS Lee.
II. Thomas * (fourth), son of Philip Lee"* (Richard ^ Richard^) by
Sarah Brooke, his first wife, was born , and died in August or September,
1749 ; of his life there is no record. ?Ie married Christiana Sim, daughter
of Dr. Patrick Siui, of Prince George's county, '^U1., and Mary, Ins wife, who
was a daughter of the Hon. Tr.omas l^rooke, of " Brookcfield ;" she w'as
probably his first :ousin. .\frer his death, Mrs. Lee married Capt. Walter
Smith. Thomas Lee's will was made in August and probated in October,
1749. Trie v.ill was without date ; these are from the probate ace. ,
In the name of God, Amen. I Thomas Lee of Prijice George Couniy in the province
of Maryland Gent, being Sick and Weak in body but of sound and perfect luemory ihanks
be to Almighty God for the same and considering the laicertain State of Mankind and that
it is appointed f'.>r al! Men once to 'lye do make this my ia-;t Will and Testament in manner
and form following that is to say. First, I commend rny Soul to Almighty God that gave it
trusting through the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ forgiveness of ray Sins, sndly, As to
what worldly Estate it has pleased Almighty God to ble>s me with I give and bequeath the
same as folio weth :
First, I desire all my Just debts be paid. 2ndly, I give my Moiety of a Tract of Land
lying in Virginia Called Paradise now in the possession of Francis Lee the reversion left me
by my Hon'd Father Philip L<7e Esqr. to my son Thom.«.s Sim Lee and my Daughter Sarah
Brooke Lee to be equally Divided between them to them their Jleirs and assigns forever and
in case of either of their Deaths to tlie Survivor his or her heirs or assigns forever and in the
case of the Death of both my son and d.iughter without legal Heirs of their body or that
they arrive to full age then I leave the Said Land to be equally Divided between my
nephews Philip Lee son of Philip Lee and Arthur Lee, son of Arthur Lee, their Heirs and
assigns forever. 3rdly, I give my Moiety of a Tract of Land Called I^cs purchase or Stump
Dale on Potomack the Reversion me left by my Hon'd Father to my dear and Loving Wife
her Heirs and assigns forever, 4thly, I Will that my Land on Seneca Creek in Frederick
County and an Island purchased of Thomas Bcall be sold for Payment of my Debts by my
Executor, hereafter named and if need not be then I Will that the s.inie lie sold and the
Money thereby Raised to be equally divided between my children.
Lastly, I ajjpoint my dear and Loving Wife and Major Joseph Sim full and Sole Ex-
ecutors of this my last Will and Teitamcnt. And I aLo ap[Vjiul Mrs. Mary Sim and Major
Joseph Sim Guardians to my Children. I hereby Revoke and make void all Wills &.C., &c.
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 157
The issue of Thomas and Christiana (Sim) Lee were two ; both minors
in 1749:
i, Thomas SimS See 28.
ii, Sarah Brooke^; married twice; first Archibald Buchanan, no issue;
secondly, Tumbull, and left issue.
Captain Arthur Lee.
12. Arthurs (fifth) son of Philip Lee' (Richard^ Richard') and
Sarah Brooke, his first wife, was born ; died, probably in 1760; on
the 26th of December, 1760, there was a new election for a delegate from
Charles county, Md., "in room of Capt. Arthur Lee, deceased." (A/J.
Archives.') Arthur Lee married Charity Hanson, who was a daughter of
Samuel and Elizabeth Hanson, of "Greenhill," Charles county, Md. : she
seems to have been the widow of a Mr. Howard, when she married Arthur
Lee. In her will (dated the 2d of January, and probated the 21st of
March, 1755-6) she appointed her "dear husband Arthur Lee to be
guardian to my said daughter Chloe Howard till she arrives at the age of
sixteen;" also mentioned her own mother, Elizabeth Hanson, and her
brother, Walter Hanson. The will of Arthur Lee has not been found, so
there is no record of any children ; but his brother, Thomas Lee, left the
reversion of some land to his " nephew Arthur Lee son of Arthur Lee."
THE HANSON FAMILY.
John Hanson, of London, son of John and Frances Prichard Hanson,
visited Sweden, fell in love with a Swedish lady, married and settled in
that country. From this union are descended the Hansons of Maryland.
His son entered the Swedish army. Being of the
^^35 ^^ ^^™^ ^g^ ^s the renowned Gustavus Adolphus,
;*i=^'-*_j7., .,-;>> thev became intimate and devoted friends ; he
J^Sr-t^Sc^^X ^°^^ ^'^ ^^' ^ colonel in the army, and was killed
:(^?C ■;--?"'• "7/-<^^ at the battle of Lutzen, 6th of November, 1632,
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^
while defending his royal friend, with whom he
Xfy died on that sanguinary field. His sons, Andrew,
Randal (or Randolph), William and John, came
::^^^^^^0^^ ^"''^'^ ^^ Delaware, with Lieutenant Colonel John
^^'"^-^^^^-"^ Printz, the governor of "New Sweden." The
family finally became seated in Charles county,
Maryland, where they have been prominent ever since. Col. John Hanson
was authorized by the Swedish authorities to bear arms; he adopted a
158 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' vy
modification of those borne by the English branch of his family, which
have been used by his American descendants. An illustration of them is
given here.
It appears that only the youngest of these sons left issue ; the family is
therefore descended from John Hanson, who was born about 1630 : settled
in Charles county and died about i 713; he left i^sue : Robert, Benjamin,
Mary, Anne^ Sarah, John, and Samuel Hanson. Robert, the eldest, repre-
sented Charles county in the (Md.) Assembly in 1719-20-2S-32-34-39-40 ;
he died in 174S, and left issue: Samuel, William, Dorothy, Mary, Sarah,
Violetta, and Benjamin Hanson. Samuel, the youngest son, also repre-
sented Charles county, 1716-28; v/as county clerk in 1739. In his will
(dated 2 2d of October, 1740), he mentioned his wife, Elizabeth, and
children: Judge Walter, of *-' Harwood ;" William; Samuel, of "Green-
hill;" John, of "Mulberry Grove;" Elizabeth, Charity (who married
Arthur Lee); Jane, and Chloe Hanson, then a minor; she afterward
married Philip Briscoe, of St. Mary's county, Md., and has a line of
descendants. "This Samuel Hanson was buried at 'Equality,' an estate
then owned by his son-in-law, David Stone, 'the inheritor of Paynton
Manor, with Court Leet and Court Baron,' a lineal descendant of Governor
William Stone (of Md., 1649-54), the great-grandfather of the Hon.
Frederick Stone, of Port Tobacco, Md." His eldest son, Judge Walter
Hanson, of "Harwood," was Commissary of Charles county, 1740; he
married Ploskins ; his daughter, Elizabeth, married Daniel Jenifer, and
died in November, 1757, aged 25 years. His son, Hoskins Hanson, mar-
ried Sarah Thompson, and had Richard Thompson Hanson (who moved to
Georgia), Sarah Hanson (who married Major William Penn, of Charles
county), and Catharine Hanson. The third son, Samuel, of "Greenhill,"
Charles county, was "noted for his patriotism ; it is related of him that he
presented General Washington with ^Soo sterling to aid in covering the
bare feet of his soldiers with shoes.*' His brother, John Hanson, of "' Mul-
berry Grove," was a staunch friend of the Colonies; it is said that in the
early part of the Revolutionary struggle, some very decided resolutions
were introduced into the Maryland Assembly, of which he was a member;
when the motion for their adoption was put, there was an awful pause ; the
meuibers hesitated to take overt action, which might place their heads and
fortunes in jeopardy; thereupon rose John Hanson, and said: "Mr. Presi-
dent, these resolutions ought to pass; it is high time," etc. They were
then promptly passed "amidst much enthusiasm." He was born in t 715 rir
in Charles county, which'he represented almost continuously from 1757 to
17735 ^^ then moved to Frederick county, which he also represented till
aaj
-•• ,01
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STRATFOFS) IIKT.. FDUKTfi G£Ki3J4.T10K . XJ^
17B1 ; was vaj active ir opposition to all ParixameEtar-^- m^uras ; sipied
the ^'NoT^-lmponaiiDr! Apxasmem of ^Marii-iaiid, " rati of Jime, J 769 ; vvas
chainnar] of the *■' Ccnmaiuiie of OiKer^-axiox '' for Ji^Qerick. froir 177-
ic the formatioii of the State irovemmein ;, iae iieic cDHtimiDusiv the most
imtortan: p^sitjons m cormtj- and Stare ; entered ihe Contiiieriiai CixngnsE,
220 of Februarv, 17 Si, and was chosen it? Pr^ioent the next Not'ember, to
act for tiie comini; }-£a:. He iiad the honor of weicominr^ General Vash-
innton, -wiien he came to Phiiadeipiiia. after the surrender of Cornxvallis at
Yorktov-n. Signed ttie articles of Coniederatioi.. ist IviaxcL, 27B1. This
Join: Hansor ^--R-as a man of peat moral intrepidirr and oeasinii of
character, and hnt few men, in lie excTting times of lie Revokitioit. and
prior thereto, enioj-ed ix a greater degree the confidence of the commimitr,
as is fuLv evinced by the fact that he was eievated by hi= counrymer tD
the verv highest and mcBt resijonsibie ofices, and was m liie service of the
State almost v-idiDin intemiissiox from 3757 to 37 B2. Ht -was a member
of tiie Zpiscopal Church and zealois in its imersts. ' ' He married lane,
danghier of Alexander Contee : she died on the 21st of Jebraarv, 1F12, aged
Bs years ; thei- iiac issue : Aler^ande: Contee Hanson. rhaT.-^l.nr of Marr-
land. -w-ho died on 22c. of NLU'emi>er. 3763, aged oh veai^ at ♦• CboDn Hiil.'"
Prince Geozge's cotmty. Vniie on a risn: to hs nephesr. Tnomas Hanson.
He was, in earn" life, assistnnt private secretary tr General "Washmirton : iaier.
was one of the fiist judges of the General Court o: IMarvlanf.. tmder the Con-
stiration of 277©; in 37S9. iie was atipoinied Chancelior o: INIan-iand. and
held the positiDn imti: his death : at tiie Tsaixsr. of the ILeirsiaxirre iie
compiled the law^ of tiie State, known as ^-Hanson's Law? :'' he married
Rebecca Howard, of AnnapDiis. and left : Charies ^^aliace. Alexander
Contee. and a daughter, whc married Thomas Peabody Grosvenar. a mem-
ber of Cougres from New York. Ciiarles IV^Jiact Hanson was a yadge ; he
married JLebecca. daughter of the Hon. Ciiaries Kidgeiey. win. was governor
of ^laiyland, 3F35-3F : btit had no children. The second son. the Hon.
Alexander Contee Hanson. I". S. Senator, 3F3i>-3 9. was tiie editor and
proprietor of the J^-dsr^: J^svurlisan, a P^timare paier of inr.aence :
he was mobbed and neariy killed, at Baltimore, in Jmie, 3 Ft 2, because he
opposed the waj with England. At tiie same time. General T .Tngrrr, -was
killed, and General Henry Lee senonsix- iniirred. He married Priscilia
Doiseyand had issue: Charles Grcerv'enar Hanson, who married {zi^so),
Annie Maria, oaughier of T. H. TTonhington, of Bakhnore counr^-, and
had ; John Woitmngton. Priscilia.. Charles Edw^axd. Murrav, Samuel Contee,
GrosvenoT. Nannie, Fiorence. Alice, and Jicssie Hansoii. ^Hanson's OS^
ce'
.. : J Lud 'i -i^i'f T
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' LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Hancock Lee.
13- Hancock Lee*, (sixth) son of Philip Lee^ (Richard ^ Richard'^
was probably by his second n.arriage ; he was born , and died the latter
part of October, 1759; apparently he was never married, no mention being
made of wife or children. His will, dated loth October and probated
5th November, was as follows:
In the name of God, Amen. I Hancock Lee of Prince George's Countv in fK.
Provmce of Maryland being weak and infi™ of body but of sound and dsoS: id and
memory do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and' form foIotL,
Impnm. bequeath my Soul into the hands of my Redeemer and my body to be d c iy
buned without pomp or show and in the presence of a few friends only ^
Ex'rs he"^;./ "'" 'i'''?"^ 'PP'"^ '''' '^" '"y ^"^' '^^^'^ b« P^'d -nd satisfied by my
James Russell of London Merchant wch Concern or Partnership has been lately settled but
^e profits of thej^d. Concen: or Partnership as by bonds books bills of sale and mortgacje;
clcT'T :T ""' '"'" ^"' ''^^^' ^^^^ '">' ^^- Ex'rs shall as soon as mav be
collect and receive all the said debts so outstanding foreclose all the mortgages convert the
same ,oto ..d ra.se all the money or Tob: which the bills of sale af^. or'oth r deed- Y
Tames Rut llin F ', ." " 5'"'''" ''"'^^^'- ''^'^- '^'^^^^^ ^ P^^ ^ '^"^ ^^ ^^- -id
James Rus.el m England conditioned for the payment of Eleven hundred and odd pounds
and eighty Pound, sterling upon my own proper account) one hundred eighty and three
hogsheads of tobacco and two hundred and odd Pounds in bills of Exchange^heh be ng
part of the prohts of the sd. old Concern I have directed the sd. James RusLll to apZ
Exch.af^Mo hs the said James Russell's own proper use and acc't. and that the other
said bond. Lut if there should yet remain anything due and owing on my sd. bond I hereby
Item. I ;.,II airect and api>omt that all the effects w^h shall appear to be my own private
property excepting what is hereafter particularly mentioned shau'be sold by mVE"rrh
after named and converted into money with all convenient speed. Item. I giv. Ind
bequeath to my sd. Br. Corbin Lee a gold watch with the chain' and seal belon^g to it
Brother, wife a neat sett of china which were presented to me by my sister Ann Ru'sell'
I g.ve unto my sister Alice Clark all my shirting and wearing stockings. I also give uno
my sister R.w,e s son Daniel Bowie all my waring apparel. To my silr Alice Cr two
fea.her beds and to my si,ter Margaret Symer two feather beds and to each of my Brothers
and Sisters vizt. to my Brother Corb.n Lee to my Brother John Lee to my Brodfer G^rg
I.e to my Sis er L,> titia W.udrop, Alice Clark. Hanna Bowie and Margaret Simer o!
hundred pounds Sterling to be paid to each of them. Item. I give and bequeath to
Hancock Lee son of my Pr. John Lee in Virginia two hundred pound! sterling to be paid to
bis father my sd. Br. John Lee for Uie u.e of his sd. son Hanco k Lee '
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. l6l
Item. All the rest and residue of my Estate be it of what kind or nature soever I give
and bequeath to my sister La'titia Wardrop to be paid to my Hr. George Lee and by him to
be paid over to her for her sole use and maintenance. Item. Whereas I brought out this
year from London a large assortment of goods on the joint account of the afors<* James
Russell and myself great part of which are yet on hand and unsold it is my will and desire
and I hereby direct tliat my Ex'rs shall dispose of the same and make up the accounts
thereof as soon as may be and remit the produce thereof to the sd. James Russell in order to
reimburse him for what lie has been or may be in advance for the said goods which are now
divided into two cargoes one being at the town of Nottingham in Prince George's County
and the other at Gcirge town in Kent County on the Eastern Shore unless Mr. James
Russell's attorney in fact shall take all the sd. cargoes or concerns on the proper acc't of for
the use of the sd. James Russell ; in which case it is my will and desire and I hereby direct
and appoint that all the said goods books and other things in any way relating to the sd.
Concern shall be ilelivered up unto him the said James Russell's attorney in fact and I
hereby constitute and appoint Mr. Charles Graham of Calvert County Merch't, Theodore
Contee, my Brother George Lee Executors of this my last Will and Testament, desiring
them to accept of such commission a> they may think proper for their trouble. In witness,
lie, <S:c.
It will be observed that Hancock, in this will, made bequests to each
of his father's younger children, Elizabeth excepted, who died in i752;6cpLic) ai;ccV 2?- (;.
they were probably his full brothers and sisters, that is, the children of the
second marriage.
John Lee.
14. John*, (eighth) son of Phili]) Lee^ (Richard ^ Richard'), born
in Maryland, moved to Virginia and settled in Esse.x county ; he succeeded
his cousin. Col. John Lee, of ''Cabin Point," as county clerk in 1761.
(This John was the eldest son of Henry and Mary (Bland) Lee, of " Lee
Hall," Westmoreland ; he married Mrs. Mary (Smith) I^all, and had suc-
ceeded Captain William Beverley a-s clerk in 1745.) John Lee (of Mary-
land) married Susannah Smith, a sister of his cousin's wife; he had been
given some land in Essex by his cousin, which place he named " Smithfield."
John Lee (of Maryland) was in turn succeeded in the clerkship, in 1777,
by his son, Hancock Lee, who held the position until 1792, when his
brother, John P. Lee, became clerk and continued in office until 1S14.
John Lee's will was dated 24th of April and was proved on the 19th of
May, 1777:
In the name of God, .A,men. I John Lee of the county of Essex being sick and weak
but of sound and di^.j-o^ing mind and memory do make and ordain this my last will and tes-
tament in manner and form foliowing. Imprimis : I lend unto my beloved wife ."^usanna Lee
during her life the land conveyed to me by John Lee gent, deceased, containing about 300
acres being part of the tract purchased by the said John Lee last mentioned of John Nail.
Item. I give and devise unto ray son Hancock Lee and his heirs forever the said 3(X) acres
II
■/■■y ■'
r':,-,;
l62 ■ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
of land after my wife's decease in lieu of and as a satisfaction for ;C200 sterling given him
by his uncle Hancock Lee of the Province of Maryland, but if my son Hancock should
refuse to accept of the said land as a satisfaction for the said sum of ;^200 sterling then I
direct that the interest in the said land here!>y devised to him sliall be sold by my executors
hereafter named and the luoney arising from such sale l)e divided amongst such of my
younger children as shall be living at the time of my wifes death.
Item. I direct that all the rest and residue of my estate of what nature or kind soever
or so much of it as my executors shall had necessary shall be sold for the discharge of my
debts and the surplus I devise to my said wife Susanna and my younger children equally to
be divided between them, my said wife to enjoy her proportion of such surplus so long as
she shall continue my widow and no longer. Lastly, I constitute and appoint my friends
Muscoe Garnett and William Vouni^, executors of this my Will. 'In witness, etc.
Thi.s will mentions by name only one child, Hancock, but alludes to
" my younger children." The names of these children are found in the
wills of John Lee, the cousin of the testator, and in those of his sons,
Hancock, John Pitt, Pja'dwiu ^^atthe^\•^, and George W. Lee. The daugh-
ter, Mary, married a Micou, probably a Paul Micou, as a nephew, Paul
Micou, Jr., is mentioned; Lettice married John Whiting; apparently
neither Hancock, P.aldwin, or George left any issue; it is said that Philip
married Mary Jacqueline Smith (the sister-in-law nientioned by Baldwin),
who was a daughter of Dr. John A. Smith, as stated by his daughter, Mary
D. Smith. The widow, Mrs. Susannah Lee, was living on the 28th of
December, 1793, ^""^ mentioned by her son, Philip. Abstracts of the wills
of these l^rothers are given here together for easier comparison.
The children of John Let- and Susannah Smith, his wife, were:
i, Hancock \ born ; died in August or September, 1792 ; married
.A.nne Smith. Hi> will was written the Sth of February, 1790, and
probated the i7tn of Se{,tember, 1792: " I Hancock Lee being sick
and weak but of perfect sense and memory do make and ordain this my
last will and testament in manner following. Imprimis: I give and be-
queath to my beloved wife Anne Lee two thirds of my slaves . . .
also one third of my liousehold and kitchen furniture. My land at
Makeshift and the other third of slaves and two thirds of my stock to
be sold for pavment of my \u>i tlebts. I give to my Brother John Lee
my seal left mo a^ a legacy by uncle Hancock. I give to my Brother
Phill my silver . . . which was left me as a legacy bv my Aunt Lettice
Thompson. I also give to my beloved wife the silver spoons left her
by her Mother .\nn Smith. I a[)point my brothers Phill Lee, Jno.
Lee, and Jno. Smith I^xecutors," etc.
ii, John Pin *. .Nothing is known concerning this John P. Lee excepting
what iscont.iir.ed m his will, which was written on the ist of .August,
;-}^;.;/
■;:ir':
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION'. 163
and probated, in Essex, the 15th of August, 1S14. Left to his "sister
Whiting, of Middlesex, all my Middlesex property, Land, negroes,
stocks, &c., during her life and at her death I give the same to her
four daughters; " the money paid to Henry Gaines for John Micou to
be considered a gift to said John Micou ; gave to his •' brother Bald-
win M. Lee and hisheirs forever my Mount Landing property with all
the negroes, stocks, &c., upon it . . . and do confide to his Trust and
care and particular attention Catherine, Flora, Wm. and John and my
faithful servant Jonathan;" to Baldwin AL Lee and George W. Lee he
left "the residue of my Estate, the Gloster and Matthews lands."
iii, Baldwin M.-\TTHEwi, born ; died the 7th of February, 1822;
his will contains all now known about him , apparently he never mar-
ried. "This is the Last Will and testament of Baldwin AL Lee of
Leesville in the County of Westmoreland and State of Virginia.
First 1 give that part of the Smithfield tract of land in the County of
Essex, which I shall be entitled to at the death of my Mother Susanna
Lee, to my Brother John P. Lee, to him and his heirs forever. 2ndly.
I give all the rest of my property, lands and negroes and every other
kind and description of property Literest, and Estate, to which I am
entitled, to my sister in Law Mary J. Lee. to her and her heirs forever,
incumbering her with the payment of all my just debts, and do give
her full and ample power to sell and dispose of the same if she thinks
proper. I do appoint Mrs. Mary J. Lee, John P. Lee, and George W.
Lee, my Ex'ors, ^'c, <\:c." This was dated 27th September, 1804;
in a codicil of the roth September, 1821, his brother George W. Lee
was excluded from the executorship ; " it is very much my desire to do
something for the four children recommended to my care by my
brother John P. Lee, to wit : Catharine Smith, Florinda, John and
William Smith, but I find some difficulty in doing so at this time, but
having the most implicit and unlimited confidence in my Sister in Law
Mrs. Mary ]. Lee, I shall leave them to her care, believing she will do
them Justice and also do Justice with whatever estate may be left
after paying my just debts," .^'c, c\:c. This will was probated 25th
February, 1822.
iv, George W.\ will dated 3d October and probated 15th Xovember,
1824, in Essex county. Mentioned his sister ''Mary Micou," to whom
he lent his Smithfield lands for life and at her death one-fourth to
nephew John Hancock Micou ; of the balance of his estate he gave
one-fifth each to Albert Micou, Susannah Micou. and Felicia Micnu ; to
his niece Maria Micou one-fit"th for life, and at her death to her chil-
l'>»
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164 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
dren; the remaining fifth to the children of nephew, Paul Micou, Jr.
Nephews John Hancock and Albert Micou, executors.
V, Philip^, See 29.
vi, Lettice^, died 8th August, 1838, aged 84 years; married, in 1783,
Captain John Whiting, of Gloucester, and had: i, Susannah Smith,
who died 3d April, 1S45, unmarried. 2, Lettice Lee, who died 28th
January, 1828; married, 22d January, 1820, Richard Woodward, and
had one son, John Pitt Lee, still living. 3, Mary Anna Edwards, who
died 3d April, 1845, unmarried. 4, Elizabeth Hancock, who married
James Chowning. Her brother, John Pitt I>ee. left to his " sister
Whiting of Middlesex all my Middlesex property. Land, negroes,
stocks, &:c., and at her death I give the same to her four daughters."
vii, Marv% from her brother George W. Lee's will it is learnt that she mar-
ried a Micou and had: Paul, John Hancock, Albert, Susannah, Felicia,
and Maria Micou. (This Paul Micou, whom Mary Lee married, was
probably a grandson of the Paul Micou, the Huguenot refugee, who
lived on the Rappahannock at a place called " Port Micou." He died
there the 23d of May, 1736. His daughter, Margaret, married iMoore
Fauntleroy. A Paul Micou, Jr., was Justice for Essex county from
1740 to 1790 ; his son, of same name, held the office from 1780 to
• 1800, and was probably the husband of this Mary Lee.)
viii, Elizabeth \
George Lee.
15. George* (seventh) son of Philip Lee' (Richard ^ Richard^), by
his second wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Sewall, was evidently very young at the
time of his father's death; he was probably the youngest son, if not the
youngest child. There is no record to be found of his life; from his
will, it is discovered that he was married, trttt to whom is not known.
From the desire to be buried at " Green Hill," in Charles county, and from
mention of the Hansons, it may be surmised that he married one of that
family. ''Green Hill," later known as "Hanson's Hill," had been a seat
of that family for many years. It was l-equeathed by Samuel Hanson, Sr.,
to his son, Samuel, in 1740. George Lee si)oke of the family burying-
ground at this place, probably meaning of his wife's family. He desired to
be "remov'd hence [from Washington] to the family burying Grounds at
Green Hill in Charles county and there be interred without pomp or con-
siderable expense by the side of my beloved wife. On whom as well as
myself I desire a monumental slab of [tlain free stone to be laid with some
short and aj-propriate inscription thereon."
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STRATKORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION'. 165 i
111 this will, he styled himself George I.ee, of the City of Washingtun,
gave minute directions for the disj-osal of his slaves, many of whom were
to be freed after various terms of service; those that were to be sold were ;
to have time to look for kind purchasers, and none lo be sold to any dealer . '
in slaves. He left legacies to Xancy H. Baker, George Lee Magruder, '
Chloe Ann Lingan, Chloe Lee Carr, and to "Thomas i\phenix son of my • .
niece." Gave $500 to Rebecca Hanson, the daughter of Thomas Hanson ;
but mentioned no relationship. Heiiry H''. Chapman, John R. ALagruder, f
Jr., and Nicholas Lingan were appointed his executors. The will was dated i
the 15th of May, and ])robated on the 30th of September, 1807. George
Lee's sister Margaret married a man by the name of '' Symer,"^and had a ^--^ p tc,
daughter who married a Pheni.x ; this Thomas Pheni.x was her son. Chloe
Lee Carr was the wife of Overton Carr, of Prince George's county, whom
she married on the 21st of .-\pril, 1S07. Her maiden name was Baker, i^in.rfDr.T/p.R^v-r
probably a sister of the above-mentioned Nancy H. Baker. Mr. G. G, ^
Eaton, of Washington, thinks they were both granddaughters of Chloe i
Howard, daughter of Mrs. Charity Lee, wife of .\rthur Lee. George Lee ,
Magruder died at Annapolis, Md., on the 13th of J"ne, 1863, aged 62
years. The Nicholas Lingan mentioned was probably of the same family
as General James M. Lingan, of Revolutionary fame, N^ho was killed by the ' ■ ' ' '
mob in Baltimore, in 1S12, at the same time that General Henry Lee was
injured.
Hon. Philip Ludwell Lee.
16. Philip Ludwell*, eldest surviving son of Thomas Lee' (Richard',
Richard') and Hannah Ludwell, his wife, was born on the 24th of Feb-
ruary, 1726-7, and died on the 2rst of that month in the year 1775. !
Whether he was born at Stratford or Mt. Pleasant is not known ; tradition
has always claimed that all the sons of Thomas Lee were born at Stratford. ■ !
As to his death, there is tr.e letter of hi-, cousin, " Squire " Richard Leo, to
William Lee, in London : '•' I wrote the 23d of February [1775] yen- that
your Brother, the Honourable Philip Ludwell Lee, Esq., departed this Life
the 2ist of tliat month ; he was interred on the 24th of February, his birth-
day, and a son was born the same day and at the time of his Interment.
No will has been found." Mr. Lee was educated in England, but at what
institution is not known. Studied law at the " Inner Teniple," London.
As heir-at-law of his father, Philip Ludwell inherited the larger share
of his estate, and was charged with the care and education of his younger ' '
brothers. These lands were in Westmoreland, Northumberland, on the "
eastern shore of Maryland, two islands in the Potomar, and some land up ' '
ftjit- t^V
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i66
LEE OF VIRGINMA.
the river above the Falls of the Potomac. It has been said that Thomas
Lee, many years before, had taken up land on the upper Potomac, above
the site of the present location of Georgetown, believing that some day the
Colonies would become independent of Great Britain, and that the new
nation would locate its capital on the Potomac near these falls ! This story
seems rather improbable ; one might have i)rophesied that the growing Col-
onies would one day form themselves into a new nation, but that one could
so tar in advance predict the location of its capital is rather unlikely. At
any rate, prophet or no prophet, Thomas T.ee did locate a claim only a few
miles above the present city of Washington.
In 1757, Loudoun county was formed from Fairfax, and included in its
borders some of Philip Ludwell Lee's lands; '• Leesburg, the county seat,
. . . was named from the Lee family, who were among the early settlers of
the county ; it was established in Septeml)er, i 758, in the thirty-second year
of the reign of George II. Mr. Nicholas Minor, who owned the sixty acres
around the court-house, had them laid off into streets and lots, some of
which, at the passage of the act, had been built upon. The act constituted
the Hon. Philip Ludwell Lee, Esqr., Thomas Mason, Esqr., Francis
Lightfoot Lee, James Hamilton, Nicholas Minor, Josiah Clapham, Aeneas
Campbell, John Hugh, Francis Hague, and William West, gentlemen, the
trustees for the town." (Howe's History of Virginia, 353.)
Philip Ludwell Lee was a member of the House of Burgesses (30th
March, 1756), and succeeded his father as member of the Council; appar-
ently he was the secretary of the Council on the i8th of June, 1770, when
a " li.st of Books necessary for the Council Chamber " was made out by him ;
the list included reports of Parliament, histories, philosophical transactions,
Demo-->thenes' orations, and the like.
After his brother William's marriage he wrote him this gossipy letter :
'• Dear Brother: Though you wd. not write me of your good tidings
amongst others you wrote, yet I shall be amongst the first to wish you joy
very heartily ; one of the most amiable women in the world you have pos-
session of and I ho{ie and Don't doubt you will do everything in yr.
power to make her a.s happy as mortals can be, in grateful! return. I su}j-
pose you will hear from R. H. Lee that the Executors have refused to divide
the estate 'til October; I wonder you shd. not know they wd. refuse; by
the will if the young ladies dye under particular circumstances, they get the
Estate; had I been concerned for that reason I wd. have made them done it
instantly. How cd. you appoint yr. two Brothers, who know nothing of
surveying or good land from bad and one of the Executors who I have heard
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STRATFORD LINE, KOI R'lH GENERATION'. t6j
you talk of you knon- liow, to divide it ^ Something; slul. be speedilv done
for the Estate, tho' fine, does not make enough to luuc the lOxpenses of it ;
I wonder you don't come in to see it divided and to live on it, if you do not
it will always bring xou in debt, remember I tell you so.
" Mrs. Lee and Matilda wish you joy. I enclose a letter from Miss Cxal-
loway. Our Bro. Franc : Lee was married to >Liss Rebec : Tavloe last
Thursday; to-morrow Patty Corbin and Geo: Turberville are to be mar-
ried; Davenport is married to >riss Ransdell, Mi-s Betty Washington
to Alex'r. Spotswood, Xancy Washin-ton to Burdet A.^hton, Miss Gate
Vaulx to young Banhead. Thos. Turner to Miss Jane Faunileroy, Dr. Faun-
tleroy of. Leeds to Miss Fauntleroy of Essex, T,andon Garter, son of
old Charles, is to be married in a little while to Miss Molly Fauntleroy of
Xaylor's Hole ; Merriwether Smith is to marry in a few days Mi.ss Dainger-
field of Plssex with ^1,500 fortune; ^\'idow Rust at Rusts Ferry to Corrie,
Hobs Hole, mar'd some n)onths, and sundry others ; so yon see this has been
a marrying year Miss Bushrod is mar'd to Phil : Smith ; the
Widow Lee of Jno : Lee to old Jno : Smith the inoculator. . . ."
" Virg'a Stratford, 31 May, 1769."
Philip Ludwell Lee married (about 1761-2) Elizabetli, second daughter
of James Steptoe, of ^^'estmoreland. and left three children. His widow
married Philip Richard Fendall, and died about June, 1789, probably
without issue by her second marriage.
On 19th of April, i 7S2, the report of the appraisement and division of
Philip Ludwell Lee's estate was filed ; the land consisted of 6,595 acres,
mentioned as "the Glifts, Stratford, and All Hallows;" the mansion house,
with its oftices, and i,Soo acres were allotted Mrs. Fendall ; the remainiiig two-
thirds reserved tor the two daughters, the son having died. On the 30th of
May, 1780, ;^i,$S-> currency, one-third dower, was paid to Philip Richard
Fendall, for "Mrs. Fendall."
The children of Philip Ludwell and Elizabeth (Stcpioe) Lee were:
i, Matilda \ married her cousin, Henry Lee (35, q. v.).
ii, Flora', married her first cousin, Ludwell Lee (33, q. v.).
iii, Philip^, born on the 24th February, 1775 ; died in infancy.
The will of James Steptoe (dated roth May, 1755; probated, West-
moreland, 2Sth September, 1757") mentioned wife, I^lizabeth ; sons, George,
James, Tliomas, and William ; daughters, Ann and Elizabeth ; sister Garrell
to have charge of daughter FJizabeth ; estate to be kept intact until children
were 21 years old. Wife IClizabeth, Richard Lee, Philip Ludwell Lee, and
George Lee, Ex'rs. Richard Lee filed an account, as administrator, 2.Sth
f' ■ . 1 ' ■.
' ' /
.^>u
l68 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ■<?'■
September, 1762, in which payments were credited to Philip Ludwell Lee,
"on account." In a division of slaves, recorded 26th March, 1771, the
two daughters were mentioned ; Elizabeth a.s the wife of Philip Ludwell Lee
and Ann as the wife of Samuel Washington, (Westmoreland records.)
The following note was written by the housekeeper at Stratford ; it is
quite unique :
"To Miss Martha Corbin, Potobac. Stratford. September the 27.
Dear Miss. I gladly embrace this opportunity of writing to you to
put you in mind that there is such a being as my Selfe. I did not think
you two would have slited me so, your Little cosen matilda was made a
cristan the 25 of September the godmothers was mrs. Washington miss becy
taloe miss molly Washington miss Nancy Lawson Stod proxse for miss nelly
Lee and I for mrs. Fauquer, godfathers was col. Taloe mr. Robert Carter
mi's. Washington Col. Frank Lee, the Esqr [S<:[uire Richard Lee], mrs Wash-
ington and your ant Lee Dessers there Love to you I am your very humble
Servant, Elizabeth Jackson."
Thomas Ludwell Lee.
17. Thomas Ludwell*, fourth son of Thomas Lee^ (Richard', Rich-
ard ') and Hannah Ludwell, his wife, was born the 13th of December, i 730,
and died at his home, •' Bellevue," in Stafford county, on the 13th of Ai)ril,
1778. His brother, R. FL Lee, writing to Arthur Lee, then in London,
under date of the 12th of May, 177S, said: ... "It is with infinite pain
that I inform you our dear brother of Belleview departed this life on the
13th of April last, after sustaining a severe Rheumatic fever for six weeks.
Dr. Steptoe attended him the whole time, and I was also with him. Both
public and private considerations render this loss most lamentable. He had
just been appointed one of our five judges of the General Court, in which
station he was well qualified to do his country eminent service. He has
left behind him a numerous family (7 children) and a very disconsolate
widow."
Of the school days and earlier life of Thomas Ludwell nothing is
known. It is highly probable that he was sent to England for his educa-
tion, as were most of his brothers. It is also likely that he read law at one
of the London schools. John Adams, quoting Chancellor Wythe, said of
him: " Thomas Lee was the most popular man in Virginia, and the delight
of the eyes of every Virginian, but . . . would not engage in public life."
This latter statement, that' he " would not engage in public life," is suscep-
tible of two interpretations. First, that Thomas Ludwell was averse to
■■. -.Y
i ^i)it^f ivo
II i '^vV'
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 1 69
public po.iitions, or that he would accept none outside of Virginia. He
certainly did hold many positions in the State, but may have been, like his
brother, Francis Lightfoot, averse to public life. He was, at the time of his
death, one of the judges of the (General Court, and had been a frequent mem-
ber of the Assembly as well as of the Conventions.
Mr. Grigsby, in his Discourse on the Virginia Convention of 1776,
has said of him ; " Among the patriotic names distinguished in our early
councils none is invested with a purer lustre than the name of Lee. It is
radiant with the glory of the Revolution. It has been illustrated by the
sword, by the pen, and by the tongue. And in the Convention, now sit-
ting, were two brothers^ who bore the name, and who impressed upon it a
dignity, which, prominent as it had been for more than a century of
Colonial history, it had never borne before.
" Thomas Ludwell Lee and Richard Henry Lee were brothers. Thomas
Ludwell, the elder of the two, held a conspicuous position as a patriot and
lawyer, and died before the close of the war, but not until he had filled the
most responsible trusts with fidelity and honour. He had been a member
of the House of Burgesses, was a member of the Convention of July and
December, 1775, and was chosen a member of the Committee of Safety.
He took his seat in the Convention now sitting as a member from Stafford,
and was placed on the committee appointed to draft a declaration of rights,
and a plan of government. On the organization of the new government
under the Constitution, he was appointed one of the five Revisors, and later
elected one of the five judges of the General Court."
Thomas Ludwell Lee was an ardent supporter of the Colonies against
the encroachments of the British ministry, as the following extract from a
letter to his brother, Richard Henry Lee, then attending Congress at
Philadelphia, shows. Writing from Williamsburg, under date of the iSth
of May, 1776, he said :
"Enclosed you have some pointed resolves which passed our conven-
tion to the infinite joy of the people here. The preamble is not to be ad-
mired in point of composition, nor has the resolve for independency that
peremptory and decided air which I could wish. Perhaps the proviso, which
reserves to this Colony the power of forming its own government, may be
questionattle as to its fitness. Would not a uniform plan of government
prepared for America by the Congress and approved by the Colonies be a
surer foundation of increasing harmony to the whole? However such as
they are, the exultation here was extreme. The British flag was imme-
' And two others of the family. Henry Lee, of Prince William, and Richard Lee, of Westmoreland,
vere also members of this Convention.
i "■-■■ ■>■■'■ i:
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170 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
diately struck on the Ca[)itol, and a Continental hoisted in its room. The
troops were drawn out, and we had a discharge of artillery and small arms.
You have also a set of resolves offered by Col: M. Smith; but the first,
which were proposed the second day by the President, for the debate lasted
two days, were preferred. These he had formed from the resolves and pre-
ambles of tlie first day, badly put together. Col : Mason came to town
yesterday after the arrival of the post. I showed him your letter, and he
thinks with uie that your presence here is of the last consequence. He de-
signs to tell you so by letter to-day. All your friends agree in this opinion.
Col° : Nelson is on his way to Congress, which removes the objection respect-
ing a quorum of delegates. To form a plan of just and equal government
would not perhaps be so very difficult; but to preserve it from being mar'd
with a thousand impertinences, from being in the end a jumble of discord-
ant, unintelligible parts, will demand the protecting hand of a master. 1
cannot recollect with precision the quantity of lead which we have received
from the mines, though I think it about ten tons.
" The works are now carried on by the public on a large scale, and no
doubt is entertained here that a full supply for the continent may be had
from thence, by increasing the number of hands. In my next you shall
have a more accurate acc't. The fast was observed with all due solem-
nity yesterda}-. The delegates met at the Capitol and went in procession to
hear a sermon by appointment of the convention. Corbin and Wormeley
. . . the first to an estate his father has in Caroline, the other to his
plantation in Berkley. Adieu my dear Brother, give my love to Loudoun,'
and let us have the satisfaction to see you assisting in the great work of this
Convention."
The " resolves," which did not have the " peremptory and decided
air" that Mr. Lee desired, were passed by the Virginia convention, on the
15th of May, 1776, and were as follows :
Resolved, that the delegates appointed to represent this Colony in General Congress.
be instiiicted to propose to that respectaMe body, to declare the united colonies free and in-
dependent states, absolved from all allegiance to, or dependence on the crown or parliannent
of Great I'ritain ; and that they give the assent of this Colony to such declaration, and what-
ever measures may be thought necessary by Congress for forming foreign alliances, and a
confederation of the colonies, at such time and in the manner that to ihem shall seem best:
provided, that the power of forming governments for, and the regulations of the internal con-
cerns of each colony, be left to the colonial legislatures.
Thomas Ludwell Lee inarried ^Llry, daughter of William Avlett,
probably of Prince William ; they had the following issue :
1 F. L. L«e, frequently so called by hU brother!.
.1 .■■:..■..::;
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yi,yh
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 1 71
i, Thomas Ludwixi. ■\ See 30. • *•
ii, William Avlett^, died young and unmarried. ■■ •
iii, Geor(;e*, See 31.
iv, Anne Fenton\ horn ; died ; married, on the 3d of Janu-
ary, 17S2, Daniel Carroll r^rent, of " Richland," Stafford county, and
had twelve children ; of whom, only six grew up: i, William, born 13th
of January, 17S3 ; died 13th of May, 1843 ; married his first cousin,
Winifred Beale, daughter of Thornas Ludwell, and Fanny (Carter) Lee
(see 30, iv). 2, Thomas Ludwell Lee, born the 9th of August, 1784.
3, Adelaide Brent, born the 25th of December, 1786. 4, Eleanor,
born the nth of October, 1787. 5, George Lee, born August,
1793. 6, Mary Aylett, born the yl of October, 1795.
V, LucINDA^ born — — ; died ; married Dr. John Dalrymple Orr,
of Prince William couiity, and had issue : Mary Aylett, Eleanor Lee,
Thomas Ludwell Lee, John Dalryniple, Arthur Lee, and Ann Fenton
Brent Orr, all of whom died young or without marrying, excepting
Eleanor; she married, on the 5th. of May, 1S29, (ieneral Asa Rogers,
of Loudoun count}, and had: John Dalrymple, Arthur Lee, Lucy Lee
(who married on the 9th of August, 1S59, the Rev. O. A. Kinsolving,
and dying at the early age of twenty-eight years, left two sons : the Revs.
Arthur B. Kinsol\ ing and Lucien Lee Kin.solving, the latter now of the
Brazilian Mission), Laura Frances (who married, on the 27th of June,
i860, her cousin, George Lee, of Loudoun, son of Dr. George and
Eveline Byrd (Beverley) Lee), and Hugh Hamilton Rogers. Lucinda
Lee was the writer of the Journal of a You n;^ Lady of Fa., published
at Baltimore, 1S71. (This journal was evidently v/ritten about 17S7.)
vi, Rebecca ^ died unmarried.
This obituary notice was written by Joseph Gales, then editor of the
N'ational InttlligenLer, of Washington, D. C. :
" On Friday, the 3!sr ult., at the residence of his brother. Col. Orr,
Mayor of the City of Washington, after some weeks of severe suffering, Dr.
John Dalrym[)le On, of Frederick county, aged fort\-tbur years. The char-
acter of Dr. Orr, as a gentleman and ohijanthropist, is too well known to
require our testimony. Having [)erfected in Scotland, the education of
which the foundation was laid in this, his native country, he practiced
medicine for several years in Alexandria; but relinquished it after his re-
moval over the Blue Ridge, and devoted himself to the calls of society, the
education of his children, and the cultivation of his farm. The disease,
which deprived his cliildren of an affectionate i^arent, his friends of a be-
in,
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172 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
loved and respected associate, had preyed upon his health for several years,
and at length triumphed over the best medical and surgical aid."
Henry Lee, of '-I^e Hall," Westmoreland, had a daughter, Lsetitia,
who married Col. William Ball, of Lancaster county ; their daughter, Mary
Ball, married, on the 2d of March, 1765, her cousin, John Ball, of Fauquier
county, whose sixth child, also named Mary Ball, married Col. Alexander
Dalrymple Orr.
THE AYLETTS.
"The Aylett family of England is a very old one, claiming descent
from a companion of the Conqueror, whose sons obtained grants of land in
Cornwall. The etymology of the name, Aylett, is a sea-cow, Cornish
Chough." In 1(556, it is said, a Captain John Aylett emigrated from
Essex county, England, to Virginia, and later took up large tracts of land
in the present county of King William. This Captain Aylett left a son,
Philip, who settled in King William in 1686; he was succeeded by his son,
William, who represented that county as Burgess in 1723-26. This William
Aylett married Anne and left three sons, and many daughters, who
are said to have married the eldest sons of the neighboring gentry.
The Anne Aylett who married Richard Henry Lee, in 175IG '^'►'a-s born
in 173S, and may have been one of these daughters, or more probably the
child of one of their brothers. Thomas Ludwell Lee married a Mary Aylett,
who was certainly the daughter of a William Avlett. Captain William
Aylett, Jr., of Westmoreland, married, Annie Ashton, who died prior to
i75i>-i»-^^^'^'^"& two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne.' The former married Wi^^B.-oi
-GeoFge^Twrbefville ; the latter, it is said, tnarrie'd Augustine Washington.
Philip Aylett, son of the above-mentioned William, of King William
county, married (atw-i4 i-'f^^) Martha Da_i^dridge, the daughter of Hon.
William and Unity (West) Dandridge, oy whom he had Col. William
Aylett, the assistant commissary general of Virginia during the Revolution,
also a son John, and two daughters, Unity and Aifne. Thus, there were
in the Aylett family at nearly the same date three Annes ; just which of them
married R. H. Lee, is at present difficult to decide.
Richard Henry Lee.
18. Richard Henry*, the fifth son of Thomas Lee' (Richard ^
Richard') and Hannah Ludwell, his wife, was born at Stratford, Westmore-
land county, the 20th of January, 1 732, and died at his home, Chantilly, in
the same county, on the 19th of June, 1794.
' Hayden, ['a. Ctnralij^iet, 4S9.
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STRATKORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. I 73
After a course of private tuition at home, Mr. Lee was sent to the
Wakefield Academy, in Yorkshire. England ; on leaving that school, he
made a brief tour of northern Europe, and returned to Virginia, being then
only nineteen years old. For some years, probably until his marriage, he
resided with his eldest brother, at Stratford, and {)assed the time, it is said,
in diligent reading of the ancient classics and modern histories. Such a
range of study seemed to be chosen, as if by intuition, to prepare him for
the part he was destined afterward to take in the struggle between England
and her American colonies. His taste for the classics was constantly dis-
played in after life by the frequent and appropriate quotations he made
from them to enrich his diction or to i'"ortify his argument.
The greater part of the estate left Mr. Lee by his father was located in
Prince William county, but he continued after his marriage to reside in
Westmoreland. It is said his eldest brother was so devoted to him that he
would not conserit to having him settle tar away from Stratford. So, when
Richard Henry was about to establish a home for himself, his brother
insisted that he should build near Stratford, and leased him, for the purpose,
the estate called '' Chantilly." Jt appears this name was given it by Richard
Henry, and that the estate was formerly known as " Hollis' Marsh;" it
was situated about three miles below Stratford, and also on the Potomac
River. Later in life, Mr. Lee paid a rental for it to General Henry Lee,
and mentions in his own will that he only held the estate on a lease.
When about twenty-three. Mr. Lee raised a comjiany to join General
Braddock in his ill-fated expedition against the French and Indians ; their
aid was declined by the hauL-hty Englishman, who had no use for provin-
cials. So, perhaps, Braddock ]:)reserved Mr. Lee's life for a future of greater
usefulness. .A. few years later, when about twenty-five, Mr. Lee was appointed
a Justice fur Westmoreland, a [osition of influence and much sought after
in those days. He .so impressed his colleagues on the bench with his special
fitness for the duties of the {losition, that they petitioned the governor to
antedate his commission that he might be chosen their presiding officer. It
was about this date (1757) that he made his first appearance in the political
arena, by being chosen a member of the Ho'.i^e of Burgesses; he continued
a member of that body, v.hen not in Congress, until 1792, when he finally
retired from active public life.
"Like his brother. Thonias Ludwell, he was oppressed with a natural
diffidence, which was heightened by a contemjilation of the dignified intel-
lects who surrounded him, and for one or two sessions he took no part in
their debates." His first effort in that body was a speech against the im-
portation of slaves into the Colony; the [iroj^osition was "to lay so heavy
II i ri
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174 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
a tax upon the importation of sla\es as etTectually to put an end to that in-
iquitous and disgraceful traffic within the Colony." This trade was contin-
ually the object of repressive legislation by the early Virginians. Mr. Lee's
speech on this proposition proved him to possess keen foresight, and to have
thus early discovered this dangerous rock, upon which the future Republic
was destined to he so nearly wrecked. His opening words were :
"Sir. as the consequences of the determination we must make in the
subject of this day's debate will greatly affect posterity, as well as ourselves,
it surely merits our most serious attention. .\nd well am I persuaded. Sir,
that if it be so considered, it will appear, both from reason and experience,
that the importation of slaves into this Colony has been and will be attended
with effects dangerous both to our political and moral interests. When it is
observed that some of our neighbouring colonies, though much later than
ourselves in point of settlement, are now far before us in improvement, to
what, Sir, can we attribute tliis strange, this unhappy truth? The reason
seems to be this : that with their whites they import arts and agriculture,
whilst we with our blacks exclude both." .-\fter alluding to the dangers of
servile wars, etc., he added: " Xor, Sir, are these the only reasons to be
urged against the importation. In my opinion, not the cruelties practised
in the conquest of Spanish America, not the savage barbarity of a Saracen,
can be more big with atrocity than our cruel trade to Africa. I'here we
encourage those poor, ignorant people to wage eternal war against each
other; not nation against nation, but father against son, children against
parents, and brothers against brothers, whereby parental, filial, and fraternal
duty is terribly violated ; that by war, stealth, or surprise we CJiristians may be
furnished with our fellow-creatures, who are no longer considered as created
in the image of God as well as ourselves, and equally entitled to liberty and
freedom by the great \-x\\ of nature; but they are to be deprived, forever
deprived, of all the com.forts of life, and to be made the most wretched of
the human kind. I have seen it observed by a great writer that Christianity,
by introducing into Europe the truest principles of humanity, universal
benevolence, and brotherly love, had happily abolished civil slavery. Let
us, who profess the same religion, practise its precej)ts, and, by agreeing to
this duty, convince the world that we know and practise our truest interests,
and that we pay a proper regard to the dictates of justice and humanity."
When the pro[)Osed Stamp tax was under discussion and before its full
purport was understood, Mr. Lee applied for the position of collector under
it. For this he was afterward censur'.*d ; he defended himself in these words,
25th July, 1766: "Early in November, 1764, I was. for the first time, in-
formed by a gentleman of the intention of Parliament to lay a stamp duty
I «.( ..J "Ml^''.
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■>] '■': v.J('b
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. I75
in America, with a friendly proposition on his ])art to use his influence to
procure for nie the office of stamp collector. I call it friendly because I be-
lieve the gentleman, no more than myself, nor perhaps a single person in this
country, had at that time reflected the least on the nature and tendency of
such an act. Coubidering this onl}- in the light of a beneficial employment,
I agreed the gentleman should write, and I wrote myself. It was but a few
days after my letters were sent that, reflecting on the nature of the applica-
tion I had made, the impropriety of an American being engaged in such an
affair, struck me so strongly tb.at I determined to exert every faculty I pos-
sessed, l>oth in private and public lite, to prevent the success of a measure
which I now discovered to be in the highest degree pernicious to my coun-
try. I considered that to err is certainly the portion of humanity, but that
it was the business of an honest man to recede from error as soon as he dis-
covered it, and that the strongest principle of duty called upon every citizen
to prevent the ruin of his country, without being restrained by any consider-
ation which could interrupt the priniary obligation. But it did not appear
to me that a promulgation of my application was necessary, as I considered
that ray action.s would be the strongest proofs of the rectitude of my inten-
tions. That such was the conduct held by me in public, I desire not to be
credited on my bare assertion, but with confidence I appeal to the many
worthy gentlemen with whom I served in the General Assembly. They
know who first moved, in the House of ]kirgesses, for the address to his
majesty, the memorial to the J^ords. and the remonstrance to the House
of Commons; they also know what part I took in pre})aring those
papers."
This letter was published in the Virginia Gazette ; as stated in it, Mr.
Lee was the one to bring before the Assembly the Act of Parliament, claim-
ing their right to ta.\ America, and he served on the special committee
appointed to d.^aft an address to the King, a memorial to the House of
Lords, and a remonstrance to the Commons. He was selected to prepare
the first and last of these three papers. Mr. Lee hajipened to be absent
from the sitting of the Assembly, when Patrick Henry introduced (in ALa\-,
1 765) his famous resolution; but he concurred most heartily in its senti-
ment; shortly afterward he organized the 'MN'estmoreland .\ssociation "
of patriots and wrote their resolutions. In these it was declared (February,
1766) that '•^\'e. who subscribe this paper, have associated, and do bind
ourselves to each other, to God, and to our country, by the firmest ties that
religion and virtue can tVame, to support and maintain, and defend each
other in the observance and execution of these following articles." The
articles were chiefly a direct protest against the Stamp Act, and expressed
176
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
their determination to " exert every faculty to prevent the execution of the
said Stam]) Act in any instance whatsoever within this Colony."
\\''hen a draft of the " Boston port bill " reached Virginia, the .Assem-
bly was in session ; an animated protest was made against it. which caused
the royal governor to dissolve the Assembly. Nothing daunted by this
action of the Gov-
.■V - ^_^_^^j:^rj^, =-- ernor, some mem-
,-p^-*^r :_':'''^:. V;" '^j^ 7; "^ bers met the next
day at the "Ra-
leigh Tavern,"
and in the '"Apol-
lo " room, drew
up a manly and
vigorous address
to their constitu-
ents. They rec-
ommended that
every county
should send dele-
gates to a convention, wliich should be held in Williamsburg on the ist of
August, 1774. This advice was followed. The convention met, discussed
in detail their grievances, declared their rights, and ended by electing dele-
gates to a general Congress of all the Colonies, which met in Philadelphia,
on the 4th of September, 1774.
The tbllowing memorandum, in General Washington's writing, doubt.
less gives the result of the balloting in this Convention for these delegates.
The original paper is in the possession of the Pennsylvania Historical
Society: Peyton Randolpli, 104; R. H. Lee, 100; Geo. Washington, 98 :
Pat. Henry, 89; Rich'^ Bland, 79; Ben. Harrison, 66; Edm*^ Pendleton, 62.
The first Continental Congress met in Carpenters' Hall, on Chestnut
Street, Philadelphia; its convening had been in many ways prepared for
by corres[)ondence between the leading patriots in the different colonies.^
' -■ -:J-v;^?^§S^?^^^^:
THE. OLD KALEIGH TAVERN
' Note. — Thomas Gushing, writing from Boston to Arthur Lee, under date of jsd of .■\pril, 1773, said;
"... The liOiKe of burgesses of the government of Virginia, as you will find by the enclosed paper, have
upon thii occision passed a number of resolves, appointing .i standing committee of correspondence and
enquiry, to correspond and communicate with their sister colonies in .America, respecting the act! and
resolutions of the British parliament; and t.ive directed their speaker to transmit them to the speakers
of the dilTerent assemblies throUjih the continent, and request them to appoint similar committee*. There
ii no doubt that most of the cohjuics, if not all, will come into like resolutions ; and some imagine if the
colonies are not soon relieved, a congress will grow out of this measure."
It seems that Arthur I^e was instrumental in havinjj his brother and Mr. Dickinson correspond. The
Utter wrote to Arthur Lee, under date of 2'3th of June, 1 76'y : "... I leturn you many th.ioWs for procuring
me the honor of your brother's correspondence. I cannot tell you how much 1 esteem it."
'■(.: :":*• D n.
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X
hTKATKOKD LINE, iULRTH G^:NEkAT10N. I 77
Mr. Lec had been an early advocate of this correspondence ; he wrote
(under date of tlie 25th of July, 176S) to John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania,
suggesting not only that select coniniittees should be appointed for this
purpose, "but that jjrivate corres[)ondence should be conducted between
the lovers of liberty in every province." In 1773, the Virginia Assembly
(Massachusetts took similar action about the same date) appointed a " Com-
mittee of Corres[)ondence," of which Mr. Lee was a member. The first
voice raised in this Congress was that of Patrick Henry; who, in a si)ecch,
it is said, of impassioned eloquence, unfolded to his anxious listeners the
perils and the duties of the hour. The second speaker was Richard Henry
Lee, who supplementing and enlarging upon Henr)''s words, impressed the
members with his wisdom and sagacity. Such evidently was the result of
his eloquence, for he immediately took a leading place in that body, com-
posed as it was of the ablest and wisest of all America.' Joseph Read, a
fellow-member, wrote of the Virginians: "There are some fine fellows
come from Virginia, but they are very high. The Rostonians are mere
niilk-sops to them. ^Ve understand they are the caj)ital men of the Colony,
both in fortune and understanding." ■' Some one has said that the delegates
from Virginia were "carefully selected, and represented in Richard Henry
Lee and Patrick Henry, orator\- and elo([uence; in (leorge Washington,
the soldier ; in Richard Bland, the finished writer; in Benjamin Harrison,
the wealthy and iutluential planter ; in Edmund Pendleton, the n-an of
law; in Peyton Randolph, solidity of character."
Mr. Lee was an active and energetic member of many of the leading
committees of this Congress ; from his [len emanated the memorial of
Congress to the peoi)Ie of British America, which has been generally con-
sidered a masterly document, lieing a member of the next Congress, he
wrutL.- their address to the jieople of Cxreat Britain, also a masterh state
paper. As chairman of the committee, he drew up the instructions of
Congress to General A\'ashinL;ton u'pon his assuming command of the army.
His most inijiortant, and distinguished service was rendered on the 7ih of
June, 1776, when, in accordance with the instructions of the Virginia Con-
I Of the men of this time and their work, Mr. Everett has said •
"The various addresses, petitions, and appeals, the corrcspotideiice, the re.solutions, the legislative and
popular addresses, from i-^f^ to the Declaration of Independence, present a maturity of political » isdi m , a
strength of ar^jument, a L;r.ivity of style, a manly eloqiicnre, and a moral courage, of which unqiiestionalily
the modem worl I afforus no other example. This meed of praise, substantially accorded at the time by
Chatham, in the British i'.irliiment, may well he rcj.cated by u-. For most of the venerated men to whom
it is paid, it is but a tribute to departed worth. The Lees, Henry, Otis, Ouincy, Warren, and S;in!uel
Adams, the men who spoke those words of thrilling po-.vcr, which raised and ruled the storm of resistance,
and rang like the Vuice of fate across the .Atlantic, arc beyonii the reach of our praise." ( Edward Everett,
in an address commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of tlie Dcdaration of Independence.)
12
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' ' ' ' - ,-,-1 1 ) I i
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l-j8 LEt OK VIRGINIA.
vention, and at the request of his collengues, he proposed the resohition
for the independence of the colonies ; of which resolution a fac-simile is
given on opposite page.
This motion was seconded by John Adams, of Massachusetts ; the dis-
cussion upon its adoption continued until the loth of June, when a commit-
tee was appointed to prepare a declaration, in accordance with this motion.
Mr. Lee's speech, advocating his resolution, has not been preserved; but
tradition states that it was an effort worthy of the occasion. His biographer ^
has given these concluding sentences : " Why then, Sir, do we longer delay ?
Why still deliberate? Let this happy day give birth to an American Re-
public ! Let her arise, not to devastate and conquer, but to re-establish the
reign of peace and of law. The eyes of Europe are fixed upon us. She
demands of us a living example of freedoui. that may exhibit a contrast, in
the felicity of the citizen, to the ever-increasing tyranny which desolates
her polluted shores. She invites us to prepare an asylum, where the unhappy
may find solace and the persecuted repose. She entreats us to cultivate
a propitious soil, where that generous plant, which first sprung and grew
in England, but is now withered by the poisonous l)lasts of Scottish tyranny,
may revive and flourish, sheltering under its salubrious and interminable
shade, all the unfortunate of the human race. If we are not this day want-
ing in our duty to our country, the nauies of the American legislators of
'76 will be placed by posterity at the side of Theseus, of Lycurgus, of
Romulus, of Xuma, of the three Williams of Nassau, and of all those whose
memory has been, and forever will be, dear to virtuous men and good citi-
zens."
It is the uniform rule of all deliberative bodies to api>oint the member
who has offered a resolution the chairman of any committee se'ected to re-
port upon that moiion. In this case, therefore, Mr. Lee would have been
chosen chairman of the committee for the drafting of the Declaration of
Independence, had he l>CLn present. 0\\ the evening of the loth of June,
he received word of the serious illness of his wife ; he left Philadelphia to
visit her on the very da\- this cominittce was appointed. Thus an accidental
sickness in his familv j-robably dejjrived him of the signal honor of being the
author as well as the mover of the Declaration of .American Independence.
It is said that the p]ngli>h papers, which gave the first intelligence of the
adoption of the Declaration- of Independence, headed their columns with
this line:
"Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry have at last accomplished
» Lift and CorrtafonJence .-/A'. //. l.rf. 1 -25, v\<
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their object: The colonies have (lecLire<.l iheinselves independent of the
mother cotmtry."
Mr. Lee's grandson stated that (iovernor Johnson, of Maryland, told
him " that shortly after the war, he heard from an English gentleman of
great respectability who had lived in London during the Revolution, and
who had had opportunities of hearing a good deal of the plans and inten-
tions of the ministry, that they had intended, in the event of the reduction
of the colonies, to have demanded the delivery of General Washington and
Richard PL Lee, and to have them executed as principal rebels."
Mr. Lee continued to serve in Congress for many years, being a mem-
ber in 177S-80-84-S7, and was one of the signers of the articles of con-
federation in 177S. During the sessions of 1784, he occupied the chair as
President, being, it is said, the unanimous choice of all the delegates
present. Some idea of his activity and of his almost incessant labors, may
be gathered from the fact of his having served upon nearly one hundred
committees during the sessions of 1776-77. But it is not the purpose of
this sketch to give a history of Mr. I-ee's jniblic services; the active part
he took imthe Revolutionary struggle is too well known, is too much a part
of the common history of this country, to need further notice in this sketch.
Every man who has taken im[iortant parts in public affeirs has made
enemies, nor was Mr. Lcc any exception to this common fate. At the elec-
tion of delegates from Virginia, in 1777, he was defeated; a result
effected by his enemies in an underhand manner, by circulating reports in-
jurious to his reputation. On h.earing of this he instantly withdrew from
Congress, returned to Westmoreland, and was promptly elected to the
Assembly; he hastened to take his seat, and at once demanded an investi-
gation into these charges. His request was granted. It is said that he
defended himself niost eloquently ; he was triumphantly acquitted, and a
resolution was passed instructing the Speaker to publicly thank Mr. Lee.
The venerable Gcori.c W)the was Sijcaker. He addressed Mr. Lee in these
words :^
'•Sir: — It is with peculiar pleasure that I obey this command of the
House, because it gives me an op^tortunity, whilst I am performing an act
oi di/fy to them, to perform an act o{ justice to yourself. Serving with you
in Congress, and attentively observing your conduct there, I thought that
you manifested in the .\merican cause a zeal truly patriotic; and, as far as
I could judge, exerted the abilities for which you are confessedly distin-
guished, to promote the good and prosperity of your oion country in par-
' fiistjry cf yiygini:X. by Burk, p 125
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l82 LEE or VIKf.lNIA.
ticular, and of the United States in general. That the tribute of praise
deserved may reward those who do well, and encourage others to follow
your example, tlie House have come to this resolution : ;, ^- ,^/ ,
" ' Resolved, That the thanks of this Iluube be given by the Speaker, to Richard ITenr>-
Lee, Esq., for the faithful service he has rendered to his country, in discharge of his duty, as
one of the delegates from this State in general Congress.' "
It is said that Mr. Wythe shed tears while addressing Mr. Lee.
Mr. Lee responded :
"Mr. Speaker: — I thank the House for this instance of candor and
justice, which I accept the more willingly, as my conscience informs me it
was not undeserved. \ consider the approbation of ray country, Sir, the
highest reward for faithful services, and it shall be my constant care to
merit that approbation by a diligent attention to public duty. My thanks
are jiarticularly due to you, Sir, for the obliging manner in which you have
been pleased to signify the vote of the House, and I pray you. Sir, to
receive my grateful acknowledgments accordingly."
Col. John Bannibter, in writing to Theodoric Eland, ^ has described
this scene: "You have no doubt heard of Mr. R. H. Lee's having been
superseded in his appointment to Congress. This measure was adopted in
an early part of the session, in his absence, which (though I am not very
fond of that gentleman) I considered a most flagrant act of injustice, and
as a precedent dangerous in its nature, and might (if not guarded against
in time) be carried to lengths the most unwarrantable, and in the end be
destructive of every principle of rectitude and impartiality in the trial of
offences. The accusation was that Mr. Lee had, in the year 1776, directed
a change of rents from money to tobacco, on a supposition that the large
emission of pajier money (the inevitable consequence of an expensive war)
would dei^reciate the one and raise the other. 'J'o this charge was added
another, of a more criminal nature, iiiiporting that Mr. Lee had engaged
his tenants to pay (in case they failed to make good their rent in tobacco)
during the continuance of their leases, in gold and silver money, at its then
value, or as much pajier as would [purchase gold and silver to the amount of
their yearly rent. . . . This being the state of what was imputed to him as
criminal, I leave to you to form your own opinion of his conduct, and to
determine whether the Assembly were right in his amotion from office.
But if they were right in that, what will you say to their consistency and
uniformity of opinion, when I tell you that the very body of men who but
a few days before had disgraced, have returned him the thanks of their
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STRATKokD LINE. I OlkTH GENKRAl K^N. 1,^3
h )U5e? Certainly no dftcnse was ever made with more graceful eloquer.ce.
more manly firmness, equalness of temper, serenity, calmness and judgment*
than this very accom[iIished speaker dis[)layed on this occasion, and I am
now of the opinion that he will he re-elected to his former station, instead
of Mr. George Ma^on, who has resigned. — Williamsburg, lo June, 1777."
Mr. Lee o[)[)osed the adoption of the Constitution of 17S7; in this
opposition, he was in agreement with George Mason, Patrick Henry, Ben-
jamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson, and others, in Virginia, and many of
the ablest patriots of the time m other States. But, after the ratification
of the Constitution, he consented lo serve as one of the Senators from Vir-
ginia, mainly for the purpose of urging some amendments which he believed
to be needed ; many of these he was instrumental in securing. After many
years of active service in Congress, and all the while a member of the Vir-
ginia Assembly, he finally, in 1792, retired from public lite. Both branches
of the Virginia Assembly gave him a vote of thanks for his patriotic
services.
Richard Henry Lee, with his brothers, was a devoted personal, as v/ell
as political, friend o[ Washington ; and, if one may judge by the tenor of
the correspondence which pa.ssed between Washington and the Lees, this
affection and friendship were cordially returned by Washington.^ Something
of the friendly intimacy that existed between Washington and Richard
Henry Lee may be shown in a brief extract from the diary of an English-
man, who visited Washington at Mt. Vernon in 17S5. This gentleman, a
Mr. John Himter, wrote :
"Wednesday i6th of Xov., 17S5. — After breakfast I waited on
Colonel Fit/gerald. .V fire that had broke out in the town hindered us
from getting off so soon as we intended. However, after some trouble it
1 An exception to tliis stilement, as far as it coriijcrns the friendly fcelirg that generally subsisted be-
tween General Washin<;ton and Mr. L^e may be made, for at one period of tteir lives there seems to have been
feme coolness between tlieiii. T.'ui ^as durin.; iti'j lime the adoption and raiifiiation of the new Constitu-
tion was under discussion. \Vashin;;tcn at first refused to attend the convention, which met at Philadel-
phia for the framing of the Constimtiun ; but later was persuaded to attend, became its presiding officer, and
eventually the leading ch.-imp;on for its ratification by the several colonics. On the other hand, Mr. Lee
was most decidedly and eniphatical'.y opposed :o its ratification. And Washington does not apnear to have
been in a mood to brcok opp^rsition. Wriiin^- to James Madison on this subject, he mention* (ieorge Mason
and K. H. Lee, two earnest opponents of tiie new Constitution, and adds ;
'■ The political tenets of ( ol. .\1. and Colonel K. H. L. are always in unison. It may be asked, which
of them gives the to!ie? Without hesitation I answer the latter, because 1 believe the latter will receive it
from none. He has. I am informed, rendered himself obnoxious in Philadelphia by the pains he took to
disseminate his objections amon^ some of the leaders of the seceding members of the Legislature of that
State. His conduct is not less reprobated in this country. How it will be relished generally is yet to be
learned by me." After the Constitution was ratified, and Washingtcn became President, the f'iendly feel-
ing, us'.'.ally subsisting between these two patriots, seems to have been fully restored (Bancroft, ///.s/;'ry a/
the Cor.siitution, 11, 443.)
I. .». tJ
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184 I-F-E OF VIRGINIA. :■- '.■
was extinLjui.shed and at half past eleven we left Alexandria with Mr. Lee,
the President of Congress, his son and servants. . . . When Colonel Fitz-
gerald introduced me to the (General I was struck with his noble and vener-
able appearance. It immediately brought to my mind the great j^art he had
acted in the laie war. The (rcneral is about six feet high, perfectly straight
and well made; rather inclined to be lusty. His eyes are full and blue and
seem to express an air of gravity. His nose inclines to the aquiline ; his
mouth small; his teeth are yet good and his cheeks indicate perfect health.
His forehead is a noble one and he wears his hair turned back, without
curls and quite in ofncer's style, and tyed in a long queue behind. Alto-
gether he makes a most noble, respectable ai)pearance, and I really think
him the first man in the world. . . . After tea General Washington retired
to his study and left us with the President, his lady and the rest of the Com-
pany. If he had not been anxious to hear the news of Congress from Mr,
Lee, most probably he v^ould not have returned to supper biat have gone to
bed at his usual hour, nine o'clock, for he .seldom makes any ceremony.
We had a very elegant sui^per about that time. The General with a few
glasses of cliamijagne got quite merry, and being with his intimate friends,
laughed and talked a good deal. Before strangers he is generally very
reserved, and seldom says a word. I was fortunate in being in his company
with his particular acquaintances. . . . We had a great deal of conversation
about the slippery ground (as the General said) that Franklin was on, and
also about Congress, the I'utomac, inaproving their roads, etc. At 12 I
had the honor of being liglited up to my bedioom by the General himself."
{Penna. Md^., etc., XVII, 76 et seq.)
Previous to this visit, under date of 12th of June, lySr, Mr. Lee had
written to Wasliington : '• Although our correspondence has been long in-
terrupted, I hope our frien(ishi[) will never be, notwithstanding the arts of
wicked men, who have endeavored to create discord and dissension among
the friends of America. For myself, having little but my good wishes to
send you, it was not worth while to take uj) your attention a moment with
them. The contents of this letter will, 1 am sure, recjuire no apology, be-
cause you always approve that zeal which is employed in the public
good." . . .
Under date of 15th of July, Washington replied: '* Dear ^ir. The
moving state \\^'' the army was at the time your letter of the 12th ulto.
came to hand, the junction of the allied troops at that period, and a variety
of matters which have occurred since that period consequent of this junc-
tion, rather than a disinclination to continue a correspondence, the benefits
of which were in my favor, must plead as an excuse for my silence till now.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH (;EN ERA'lION. 1 85
Unconscious of having given \ou just cause to change the favorable senti-
ments you have expressed for nie, I could not suppose you had altered
them ; and as I never suffer reports, unsupftorted by [)roofs, to have weight
in my mind, I know no reason why our correspondence should cease, or
'oeconie less frequent than heretofore, excepting on my part, that, as our
affairs became more i)er[)lcxing and embarrassed, the public claimed more
of my attention and consetpaently left me less leizure for private indul-
gences." . . . (Ford's Writings of George Washington, IX, 304-5.)
One of the last letters upon public affairs written by Mr. Lee was to
Washington ; in it he most cordially and heartily indorsed the administra-
tion of the President. Mr. Lee's correspondence was immense ; not only
with his fellow-patriots in all parts of America, but also with many of the
brightest minds of Europe. And the idea conveyed to the reader of the
letters addressed to him is that the writers entertained great esteem for the
man as well as unbounded admiration for the patriot.
The Virginians seemed especially anxious t"hat Mr. Lee should attend
their convention, when it met to frame a constitution. Jefferson wrote
(Sth July, 1776) : " I shall return to Virginia after the nth of August. I
wish my successor may be certain to come before that time: in that case, I
shall hope to see you, and not Wythe, in convention, that the business of
government, which is of everlasting concern, may receive your aid."
John Page, of " Rosewell," wrote: "... I would to God you could
be here at the next Convention. ... If you could I make no doubt you
might easily prevail on the Convention to declare for Independency and
establish a form of government."
George Mason, of " Gunston," wrote: "... I need not tell you
how much you will be wanted here on this occasion. I speak with the
sincerity of a friend wh.en I assure you, that in my opinion, your presence
cannot, must not be dis[jensed with. We cannot do without you."
Mr. Lee had been most urgent in the demand that no treaty should be
made with England that did not allow to .\merica the free navigation of
the Mississip{)i and the right of fishing, etc., on the banks of Newfound-
land, etc. For this the Xew England .States were very grateful to him, as
shown in this letter :
"Portsmouth, X. H., 17th April, 17S3. My dear Sir: — I cannot
omit an opportunity that offers by a vessel bound to Virginia, to con-
gratulate you on the happty event which, for many years, has been the
great object of your labours and anxious cares. The very unequivocal
part you, my dear friend, have taken, in this great revolution, must
furnish your hours of retirement with the most pleasing reflections. Though
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l86 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
the terms may not be, in all respects, exactly confurniahle to our wishes,
they are, perhaps, eciual to what we had a right to expect, all things
considered.
" My happiness is greatly increased by this joyous event, as it opens a
prospect of seeing you here. I already anticipate the pleasure of recapitu-
lating with you those private as well as public consultations, in which you
took so eminent a part, and which have produced such happy effects. This
country, my dear sir, is very particularly obliged for your exertions to se-
cure the most valuable branch of her trade, the fisheries. As a small token
of my sense of the obligation, I must beg your acceptance of a quintal of
fish, which, I think, is of the best quality. With very particular attach-
ment, and the greatest respect, I am, my dear sir, your most affectionate
friend and humble servant.
(Signed) Wm. Whipple."
Both Samuel and John Adams expressed themselves frequently in a
similar manner; indeed, such was the common tenor of the letters received
by this patriot. No man of the period appears to have been held in greater
esteem by those whose good opinion was at once a tribute to merit and an
honor to be coveted. John Adams noted in his "diary" his impressions
of the various men he met at different times, and had this to say of his first
meetings with Mr. Lee — and time seems rather to have increased than dimin-
ished his good opinion of the Lees.
Saturday, 3d of September, 1774. " r)reak fasted at Dr. Shippen's;
Dr. Witherspoon was there. Col. R. H. Lee lodges there; he is a masterly
man. This Mr. Lee is a brother of the sheriff of London, and of Dr.
Arthur Lee, and of Mrs. Shippen; they are all sensible and deep thinkers.
Lee is for making the repeal of every revenue law — the Boston Port Bill,
the bill for altering the Ma.ssachusetts Constitution, and the Quebec Bill
and the removal of all troops — the end of the Congress, and an abstinence
from all dutied articles, the means ; rum, molasses, sugar, tea, wine, fruits,
etc. He is absolutely certain that the same ship which carries home the
resolution will bring back the redress. If we were to suppose that any time
would intervene, he should be for e\ce[)lions. He thinks we should inform
his Majesty that we never can l)e happy while the Lords Bute, Mansfield,
and North are his confidents and counsellors. He took his pen and attempted
a calculation of the numbers of people represented by the Congress, which
he made about two millions two hundred thousand ; and of revenue, now
actually raised, which he nmde eighty thousand pounds sterling. He would
not allow Lord North to have great abilities ; he had seen no symptoms of
iV> '1
1 : ■■■■>■,•■ ! u
STRATKJRD LINE, FOT'RTH GENERATION. 187
tlieni ; his whole administration had been a hhinder. He said the opposi-
tion had been feeble and incomptent before, that it was time to make vigor-
ous exertions."
" Mrs. Shippen is a religious and a reasoning lady. She said she had
often thought that the people of Ijoston coukl not have behaved, through
their trials, with so much jjrudence and firmness at the same time, if they
had not been influenced by a superior jiower. Mr. Lee thinks that to strike
at the Navigation Acts would unite every man in Britain against us, because
the kingdom could not exist without them, and the advantages they derive
from these regulations and restrictions of our trade are an ample compensa-
tion for all the protection they have afforded us. . . . Spent the evening at
Mr. Mifflin's, with Lee and Harrison from Virginia, the two Rutledges, Dr.
Withcrspoon, Dr. Shippen, Dr. Steptoc, and another gentleman; an elegant
supper, and we drank sentiments till eleven o'clock. Lee and Harrison were
very high. Lee had dined with Mr. Dickinson and drank Burgundy the
whole at'ternoon. . . . Galloway, Duane, and Johnson are sensible and
learned, but cold speakers. Lee, Henry, and Hooper are the orators;
Paca is a deliberator, too ; Chase speaks warmly ; Miflflin is a sprightly and
spirited speaker." ^
Henry Lee, the eldest son of General Henry I-ee, is responsible for this
story concerning Mr. Lee. " During tht- War of the Revolution, and, I
believe, while Mr. Jefferson was Governor of Virginia, a British squadron
which had been scouring the waters and wasting the shores of the Chesa-
peake, taking advantage of a favorable breeze, suddenly came-to off the
coast of \'irginia, where the majestic cliffs of Westmoreland overlook the
storniy and sea like I'otomac. Mr. Lee was at that time on one of those
visits to his family, with which, from the permanent sitting of Congress, the
menilicrs were of necessity occasionally acconmiodated. He hastily col-
lected from the nearest circle of his neighbors a small and ill-armed band,
rejKiired at their head to the point on which the enemy had commenced a
descent, and without regard to his inferiority of means and nimibers in-
stantly attacked them. He drove the [)arty on shore back into their barges,
and held them aloof luitil ships were brought to cover the landing with
round shot and shells, which he had no means of returning. Then as he
was the first in advance so he was the last to retire ; as the men who were
with him have, since his death, often said. Several of the hostile party
were killed or wounded, among them an officer, whom they carried off.
One man they buried on the shore. In a grove of aged beech trees, not
^Li/e and M'orks a/Jokn Adams, Vol. II, p 31S2, it jt"/.
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l88 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
far from Mr. Lee's residence, re>L the remains of this unknown and un-
forgotten foe."
At the present time there is shown at Stratford one of these round
shot, which tradition says was fired at the house by an English warship;
how much of truth there is in this tradition cannot be ascertained. The
iron missile now performs the useful and harmless service of a hitching-
block for horses.
Bishop Meade has left his estimate of Mr. Lee's character and public
services in these words : '
" Li looking over the two volumes containing the life and correspond-
ence of Richard Henry Lee, of Chantilly, in Westmoreland, the reader
cannot fail to ask himself the question, ' Was there a man in the Union
who did more in his own county and State and country, by action at home
and correspondence abroad, to prepare the people of the LTnited States for
opposition to English usurpation, and the assertion of .\inerican independ-
ence? Was there a man in America who toiled and endured more than he,
both in body and in mind, in the American cause? Was there a man in
the Legislature of Virginia, and in the Congress of the Union, who had
the jien of a ready writer so continually in his hand, and to which so many
public papers may be justly ascribed, and by whom so much hard work in
commiLtee-rooms was performed ?' To him most justly was assigned the
honourable but perilous duty of first moving in our American Congress,
* That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and inde-
pendent States.' Xor is it at all wonderful that one who was conversant
with the jjlans and intentions of the English ministry should have declared
that, in the event of the reduction of the Colonies, the delivery of General
Washington and Richard Henry Lee would be demanded, in order to their
execution as rebels. Although the great })rinciiilcs of morality and religion
rest on infinitely higher ground than the opinion of the greatest and best
of men, yet it is most gratifying to find them sustained in the writings and
actions of such men as Richard Henry Lee. Mr. Lee advocated private
education as being better calculated for impressing the minds of the young
' with a love of religion and virtue.' His biographer says that he had early
studied the evidences of the Christian religion, and had through life avowed
his belief in its divine origin. He was a member of the Episcopal Church
in full communion, and took a deep interest in its welfare. He proved the
sincerity of what has been quoted from hini, in favour of private education,
by having a minister, or candidate for the ministry, in his family as private
*0!J Chtfrckes, /'.tinii'ies, etc., II, 140, ei sf-;.
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STRATFOkL) LINE, FOURTH GENEKATION. 189
tutor. Mr. 15almaine was sent over to him by his brother, Artliur, from
London, as l)oth a staunch friend of America and a pious man. I have
often heard Mr. Balmaine speak in the highest terms of Mr. Lee as a
Christian and a patriotic statesman. His attachment to the Church of his
fathers was evinced by the interest he took in seeking to obtain consecra-
tion for our Bisho]3s, immediately after the war, and when lie was President
of Congress. Twice were thanks returned to him by our General Conven-
tion for his services. Mr. Lee was a decided advocate of the ai)pointment
of public acts of supplication and thanksgiving to Almighty God in times
of adversity and prosperity. When all was dark and lowering in our politi-
cal horizon, and when it was proposed that, as one means of propitiating
the favour of God, it should be recommended to the different States to take
the most effectual means for the encouraging of religion and good morals,
and for suppressing 'theatrical entertainments, horse-racing, gaming, and
such other diversions as are productive of idleness, dissipation, and a general
depravity of manners,' while some voted against the measure, Mr. Lee was
found in company with the most i)ious men oi the land in favour of it, and
it was carried by a large majority. Again, wlien by the capture of Bur-
goyne's army the hearts of Americans were cheered, we find Mr. Lee one
of a committee drafting a preamble and resolution, which is believed to be
from his own pen, in the following pious strain :
" ' Forasmucli as it is the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending
providence of Almighty God, to acknowledge with gratitude their obligation to Him for the
benetits received, and to implore such further blessings as they stand in need of; and it
having pleased Him in His abundant mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable
bounties of His common providence, but also to smile upon us in the jnosecution of a just
and necessary war for the independence and establislunent of our unalienable rights and
liberties; particularly in that He hath been pleased in so great a measure to prosper the
means used for the sup[v>rt of our arms, and crown them with the most signal success; it is
therefore recommended to the Legislature and the executive powers of these States, to set
apart Tluirsday, the eii^hteenth of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise; that
with one heart and one voice the people may express tlie feelings of their hearts, and con-
secrate themselves to the service of their Divine llenefactor; and, together with their sincere
thanks, acknowledgments and oiTerings, they may join the penitent confession of their mani-
fold sins, whereby they have forfeited every favour, and their earnest and humble supplica-
tion that it may [>Iease Go<l, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and
blot them out of remembrance ; that it may please God, etc'
" Mr. Lee. though entirely opposed to any Church establishment, was,
together with Henry, an advocate far the proposition to make every man
contribute to the support of the Christian religion, as the only sure basis
of private and public morality. In this, however, they failed. When the
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■■■■*• i:! n!rr:'\
190 LKE OK VIRC.INIA.
question about pa\ir,g debts in de[)reciated currency came on, Mr. Lee
evinced his high and honorable sense of morality in the earnest and elo-
quent opposition made to it. He declared that nothing so deeply distressed
him as a proposition which he regarded as a violation of honesty and good
faith among men, and said that it ' would have been better to have remained
the honest slaves of Britain, than dishonest freemen.' "
Of Richard Henry Lee's personal appearance and of his style of
oratory one or two descriptions by contemporaries may be given. William
Wirt wrote : " His face was on the Roman model ; his nose Cesarean ; the
port and carriage of his head, leaning persuasively and gracefully forward ;
and the whole contour, noble and fme. He had studied the classics in the
true spirit of criticism. His taste had that delicate touch which seized with
intuitive certainty every beauty of an author, and his genius that native
affinity which combined ihem without an effort. Into every walk of litera-
ture and science he had carried this mind of e.xquisite selection, and brought
it back to the business of life, crowned with ever)- light of learning and
decked with every wreath that all the muses and all the graces could
entwine. Xor did these light decorations constitute the whole value of
its freight. He possessed a rich store of historical and political knowledge,
with an activity of observation and a certainty of judgment which turned
that knowledge to the very best account. He was not a lawyer by profes-
sion, but he understood thoroughly the Constitution, both of the mother
country and of her colonies ; and the elements also of the civil and munici-
pal law. Thus, while his elotiuence was free from those stiff and technical
restraints which the habits of forensic speaking are apt to generate, he had
all the legal learning which is necessary to a statesman. He reasoned well,
and declaimed freely and splendidly. The note of his voice was deep and
melodious. It was the canorous voice of Cicero. He had lost the use of
one of his hands, which he kept constantly covered with a black silk band-
age, neatly fitted to the palm of his hand, but leaving his thumb free ; yet,
notwiihstanding this disadvantage, his gesture was so graceful and highly
finished that it is said he had acquired it by practising before a mirror.
Such was his [)rom[)titude that he rerpiired no jireparation for debate. Pie
was ready for any subject as soon as it was announced ; and his speech was
so copious, so rich, so mellitluous, set off with such bewitching cadence of
voice and such captivating grace of action that, while you listened to him,
you desired to hear nothing superior, and indeed thought him perfect. He
had a ciuick sensibility and a fervid imagination."
Dr. Rush said of him : -" I never knesv so great an orator whose speeches
were so short. Indeed, I might almost say that he cfjuld not speak long.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. IQl
He had conceived his subject so clearly, and presented it so immediately to
his hearers, that there ap[)eared nothing more to be said al)Out it. He did
not use figures to ornament discourse, but made them the vehicles of
argument."
John .Adams wrote, 24th February, 1 821, to a grandson of R. H. Lee :
"With your grandfather, Richard Henry Lee, I served in Congress from
1774 to 1778, and afterward in the Senate of the Laiited States in 1789.
He was a gentleman of fine talents, of amiable manners and great worth.
As a public speaker, he had a fluency as easy and graceful as it was melo-
dious, which his classical education enabled hirn to decorate with frequent
allusion to the finest passages of antiquity. With all his brothers, he was
ahva}s devoted to the cause of his country."
It has been the purpose of this sketch to give a brief outline of the
public services of Richard Henry Lee, together with a few comments,
chiefly from the pens of his contemporaries who had ample opportunity of
judging fairly of him. Perhaps another, and a better method of judging
him may be found in his correspondence. The few letters given here are
mostly to relatives, or dear friends, and many of them have never been
printed.
Alluding to his ill-treatment by the Assembly, he wrote a friend :
"Dear Sir: — I have but a moment to return you my thanks for your
friendl}' and obliging letter. It was impossible for me to avoid feeling the
unmerited ill-treatment that 1 had received, but I have now the pleasure to
inform you thai the two houses have removed all bad impressions by their
favourable approbation of my conduct ; and they have directed me to return
to Congress as one of their Delegates. This latter is a most oppressive
business, and therefore, unsought by me, but having put my hand to the
plough, I am bound to go through. Not much important business has yet
been d^me, but they propose to crowd a good deal into this week, at the
end of which they talk of rising." (No suj^erscription. Dated, Williams-
burg, 2Slh of June, 1777.)
Under date of i4lh January, 1764, he wrote from same place, to an
unknown friend: — " By the Governor's s[)eec!i, which you have inclosed,
you may perceive that considerable business was markt out for us. But
our glorious resolution of yesterday, to be defended by .Militia, and to have
no further concern with Regulars, will put a short period to the session,
which now we expect will rise by Wednesday next. Two addresses that are
ordered by the House have not yet been presented."
Writing from •' Chaiuilly," 22d June, 1766, also to an unknown cor-
respondent, he said ;
O-.HiiT.)
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192
LEE OF VIROINIA.
" Dear Sir: — Is it true that one of the best friends, as well as one of
the most able of the community, intends to quit tlie service of the country
at this most important crisis? when every mental, every corporeal faculty
that America possesses should be strained in op[)Osition to preserve the
most palpable privileges of human nature, the legal rights of America, and
the constitutional freedom of IJritish sul)jects?
"I yet hope, my friend, that you have only thought, not determined
on declining to take a poll at the coming election. When the cause of
our dissolution is known, will Ministerial cunning fail to suggest, that the
people of Virginia disavow their Burgesses' claim to freedom, if a consider-
able change is made by them, in their choice of new representatives?
"Let us remove from despotism every show of argument, and let us
endeavor to convince the world that we are as firm and unanimous in the
cause of liberty, as so noble and exalted a principle demands. The inclosed
pamphlet is said to be written by the first minister of Britain. If no better
reasons can be assigned to support the measure he contends for, a strong
proof is to be drawn from thence of its intrinsic vileness. It shows, indeed,
that systems calculated to destroy human liberty, can only be maintained
by vain sophistrv, and an idle affectation of wit. without one single ray of
wisdom ; and that such doctrines are as far reniote from true policy- as they
are closely connected with the futile genius of a dealer in expedients, who
never is able, and seldom willing to draw the necessary sui)i)lies of Govern-
ment from such sources only as are consistent with the end of all govern-
ment, the safety, the ease, and the hai^piness of the people.
" I would recommend the pamphlet to your attention, not for its merit,
but that it may receive proper answer, and such an one it easily admits of,
as would make its author blush, if it is possible for a minister to blush. But
though an answer might fail to do this, it will certainly have weight with
the cool and sensible part of mankind, and thereby perhaps prevent the
extension of arbitrary, unconstitutional power."
Baltimore, ist Jan., 1777, to Dr. Wm. Shippen. Jr., at Bethlehem, Pa. :
" My dear Sir, A happy new year is my wish tor you and your iamily ;
that it will be a year of freedom, our brave trooyis appear determined
on, and whilst they are so, the instruments of tyranny and the perpetrators
of devilish deeds will not, cannot face them. The removal from Philadel-
phia was not a measure of mine, but had my hearty disapprobation so long
as disapproving availed anything; but when go they would, I endeavoured
to put the best face on it. The Congress have lately invested General
W;ishington with complete powers to displace. {)lace, and direct evcrythiug
relative to the Military Flosiutals. To him therefore, let me advise you to
■••f ::\'''.mU
<) K :,i ]
f«l ,
i< ■'■'yi" ■ i:.> .
r,. ■>',■, 'M i'-'-.;r>hin
.(. "> :n<:. :/,•:•
,.• f.i)/.' v:
l-'.i.-ivr I '»
f; I •■ oi-
.! ;■{
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. I93
make your ajiplication by laying your plan before him and prove, as you
have done to me, the propriety of adopting it. No doubt can remain but
that it will meet with his approbation and support. As for Morgan, the
very air teems with comjilaints against him. If all charged against him be
true, I would not have my conscience so burthened for Mountains of Gold.
Reasons for expecting the strongest friendship from France and Spain
multiply upon us every day. If they can be prevailed with to make war,
farewell the glory of England, and it may then be said, as formerly it was
of Rome, ' Scevior annis litxuria incubuit victumque ulcissiiur orbem.^
" Had it not been for the vile appendages of Luxury, we should not
have been abused nor Britain overwhelmed by France. It will give us
great pleasure to hear from you but greater still to see you."
To the same, dated, i8 .\pril, 1779, from Shippen Hall in Fourth
Street: " My dear Sir: Possession is eleven points of the Law, and there
are in this city profligates enough, who would, for a good fee, secure
the twelfth part. Thus you seem to be more at mercy now than when
Mrs. the Tory's Doctor's wife had residence here. How I came
to get possession is another thing, and it may be accounted for in this way.
On my Brother's dep'arture for Virginia last Friday, I was obliged to de-
camp from Market Street, and it not being easy to find a lodging quickly,
my most worthy friend, the old Doctor [Dr. \\'m. Shippen, Sr.] propo.sed
that I should have a room here. I'he bargain was soon made; I am in
your chami)er, and we propose to club for our marketing. The old gentle-
man drinks nuthing but water, and small beer contents me. The Barrack
Master furnishes us with wood, and I assure you we live with great hapjn-
ness and content, whilst we exhibit an example of the truest republican
economy. At'ter quilting the irksome business of Chestnut street, I have
the pleasure of contemplating in my old friend, what Man should be. but
wliat^ alas, he seldom is, temi)erate, wise and honest. I am much obliged
to you for your favour of the 15th, but I do not despair. I am well satis-
fied, however, that we must suffer very considerably before the States in
general will feel the necessity of sending wiser and better men to this As-
sembly. Where a man by being honest is sure to be oppressed ; where
disgrace and ruin are to reward the most faithful services; when the dis-
charge of duty raises u[) the angry and malignant passions of envy, malice
and all uncharitableness, it is best to retire until necessity has pointed out
proper men and proiier measures. The ])arty seem long since to have
abandoned all thoughts of supporting Dcane, but they are determined to sac-
rifice the Messrs. Lee and Mr. Izard to the manes of their dear unprinci[)led
friend.
13
l.'.l.
M-- i : ' 1
■;.^i ■ 'vf j'-a ;/ bfiH
,i; I. 'I,:, I K
.;' '-.I mN'
'.' ,ij
•■ . ■ ^■/j;»v"> -111, - ,;1
••ViV//
'1 -j;
194 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ^^
" The doctrine is that it is too expensive and not necessary to have any
minister at Vienna, or Berlin or Tuscany, and that it will never do to try a
man in his ahsence ; therefore we will damn his reputation with a recall,
and let him recover it if he can ; in the meantime our Junta will be supplied
with places. It is in vain to say that thus to destroy the reputations of men,
against whom no shadow of offence appears, and who on the contrary,
have honestly and ably served the public at every risk to themselves, merely
to gratify. the wishes and accomplish the views of avaricious and ambitious
men, will exhibit such an example as must deter every man, who has
character to lose, and means to be honest, from entering into the public
service. So the public business must of necessity be committed to unprin-
cipled men and avaricious plunderers. By the aid of a certain little great
whispering politician this point of sacrifice will, I think, be carried. Fine
reward, excellent encouragement to give up z\\ pro patria.
"On a late motion to give a million to the Hosjntal department, much
violent debate took place, and it was insisted on that infinite abuses pre-
vailed and demanded immediate en<iuiry. It was alleged that great quanti-
ties of stores were charged for geese, ducks, chickens, ^-c, &c. That the
wine was all drunk by the web and not by the sick. All this ended in
reducing the sum to 5500,000. The Southern Chief, who you know is a
most excellent character, said that he hoped soon for an inquiry into the
conduct of the Director General and all the rest. Therefore a prospect of
encountering so great a personage makes it necessary to say, ' Cave quod
agis.' The Dutch having lately taken off the prohibition from the exporta-
tion of military stores, which they had imposed to oblige Great Britain,
proves clearly that the interest of England is waning in Holland. There
have arrived 7 vessels here lately from the West Indies, which has terri-
fied the Specs and lowered the i)rice of sugar £,20 in the hundred. It is said
that many more vessels are expected. Trade seems to thicken along the
wharfs and Marine business is recovering its tbrmer countenance. I shall
go to Virginia in a fortnight, where I hope to rest from public toil for some-
time at least. I think you are with Mr. Blair and his Lady, if so, I pray
you to remember me to them and present my love to my sweet sister and
cousins. I am yours sincerely and affectionately.
" Dr. William Shippen, Jr., Esquire, Director General of the Hospitals
of the United States at Raritan in New Jersey."
The following letters written by Richard Henry Lee to his nephew,
Thomas Lee Shippen. son of the L)r. William Shippen. Jr., are very inter-
esting. They are in a lighter vein, and contain more of family concerns :
"Trenton, 19 Nov.. 17CS4. My dear Cousin. This morning's post
AiH,5..'.« '■'
1 'i -I
•.ii>''j ;'.»<{, :
':^ii..i >:■>'!
iJC'./iT
STKATKORD LINE, FOLRTH GENERATION. I95
put into my possession your favour of the 17th inst., and I thank you for it
with great sincerity. I am very happy to hear that Mr. Read is in your
delegation, and I should have been much more so if your worthy father had
been there likewise. It greatly soothes the rugged paths of politics to
travel them with men of ability, integrity and candour. We are as remote
from having a Congress as we were 19 days ago; with the Southern dele-
gates at Philadelphia and those of your State inclusive, we have but six and
an half States represented. But one delegate from the eastward, whence
formerly proceeded the most industrious attention to public business. I do
not like this strange lassitude in those who are appointed to transact public
affairs.
" I am here placed in the house of a Mr. Howe, where I have a good
warm chamber and other conveniences to my satisfaction. The streets of
the village in this rainy season are most disagreeably wet and muddy. How
long we shall remain here it is not in my power to say. Mr. Wolcot, one
of the Commissioners for the Indian treaties, has come here with a treaty
concluded very satisfactorily with the Six Nations. He says that the other
Commissioners are gone to Pittsburgh to treat with the AVestern Indians,
and he apprehends that they will accomplish their business in that quarter
with facility.
'' I am a good deal distressed about ray horses ; if they go to vendue,
they will sell for nothing. . . . At Alexandria they are to he delivered to
Mr. Fendall, with the enclosed letter, who lives about an half mile from the
town and is well known there. If Mr. Lee will undertake the affair for me
I shall certainly succeed and my horses will not be injured in going back,
which latter may happen by over-driving, not properly resting and properly
feeding. Will you be so kind as to try your talents at negotiation with Mr.
Lee? Julius Caesar showed his auibition as much when he preferred being
the first man in a small village to the second in Rome, as when he grasped
the imperial purple. So evidence may be given in small negotiations of
superior fitness for great affairs. I will enclose you a letter for Mr. Fendall
to go with the horses, upon a presumption that your address will be surely
successful. Present my best love to your Father, Mother, and Sister, and
when you see the old Gentleman, do not forget me wdth him. I am, my
dear Cousin, Your affectionate Uncle and Sincere friend."
"New York, 17 January, 17S5. How has it happened that my dear
Cousin hath not yet informed me how he and his companion, the good
Doctor, escaped the perils of that dreadful frost that enveloped all nature,
when they left Trenton? I suppose that contenii)lating the Belles of Phila-
delphia kept the heart in such vigorous action as to counteract all the severity
;.i hrt'.
iVuvM '■'/!
196 LEE OK Vlkl.INIA. _ , ^ , .
of winter ! I have t^vice seen my sweet cousin, PegL^^y Livingston, since my
arrival here. She is very pretly and very chatty and loves h.er Uncle mightily.
She promises to come and see me often when I get into the Presidential
House, which will be this week ; having liired Mrs. Franklin's house in the
street where little Peggy lives. It is a very elegant house and provided with
every convenience.
" I think that little Peggy is very much like her picture in your Father's
house. Mr. De liarthold has by this time, I suppose, rigged me out in such
a manner as to convert the old President into a young Beau ! Very well,
if for the good of the country I must be a Beau, why I will be a Beau.
Colonel Monroe is returned and is now in the City, and so is Colonel
Straight ; so that I shall probably not get my clothes soon, unless the kind
Doctor is so good as to bring them. My best love attends your Father,
Mother, and Sister. God bless you."
"New York, 3rd March, 17S5. My dear Cousin. I had made such
effectual enquiry after my dear Cousin's stock buckle that I have found it,
and safely delivered it to my Brother, A. Lee. The world has assigned to
you politeness equal to the good sense that distinguishes you. By what
strange fatality then has it hapi^ened that the charms of a lady have been
neglected by you? I learn fiom Chantilly that a young lady of that place
had a pair of set shoe buckles committed to your care by her Brother,
Thos. Lee, some years ago to get repaired. And that to this day the work-
man has not made the necessary reparation. I thought that the tradesmen
in Philadelphia were more punctual ; but this fellow has taken the advan-
tage of your engagement in law study to neglect this business, which he
would not have dared to do, if your piercing eye had been upon him.
Will you be pleased to recollect this matter and inform me in what train it
is? I suppose that our good friend, Mr. Prager, has delivered vou the
guineas that I sent by him. How proceeds the leather covering tor the top
and sides of my chariot or have you yet niet with an opi>ortunity of sending
it to Virginia.
"In the month of .April, I suppose the chairmakcr will commence his
operations upon my most elegant and strong and every way complete chair,
trunk box, etc. I rely a good deal ui)on yours and m\- good friend, the
doctor's admonitions to the artist, that he may be induced to exert his
honest art most fully upon this. little machine. My gun and sword cannot
forget that they are under your protection, and much want repair. God
knows when I shall get away from this place ; but I know that if your
worthy father would but honor me with his company here, that the best
Champaign should he plentifully at his call. God bless you and tlie
:;.r,;!,i ^\auU \ "
.i' )-,,,( ,' );• i.,'j ) 'J ' U» l">(.'
:x! ^jj v- : loi-i'jCl
uMf, .; rir:!- ir; 1 ,: ,i:'ji,:>
v;,i!!Vi;.i
: .^.^ri"
STkATlORI) LINE, FOURTH C.ENEKATION. I97
wliole fuinily, i»rays sincerely, my dear cousin, Your affectionate uncle and
friend."
'• New York, 14 October, 17S5. I hope my dear Cousin has returned
to Phila. brim full of health and law. But, say, is it law, or is the study
of law alone, that is inconsistent with the duties of friendship? There must
be something in the way, or it never could have happened that I should not
have received a letter from )ou in so great length of time. My silence could
not be the cause, as your humanity would readily find an apology for me in
my very ill state of health. The Holker cause was not tried it seems, but
the Election strife is over, and I wish to know the event as well in other places
as in Phil'a. Nor will it be uiiiiitcresting to know something of the maneuvers
of the contending parties. Curse and doubly curse the Algerines, for these
Pirates, I fear, have too certaiidy made war on our Commerce. Paul Jones
from L'Orient informs us that Mons. Soulanges' letter was there and its
contents believed. These Infernals, having put all the Commercial nations
of Europe under contribution, except Portugal, the trade of Portugal with
ours is all that remains for them to i)lunder.
"Several years ago your worthy Father sent me to Virginia, a Dutch
fan, and now the skreens of it are all worn out. I shall thank you exceed-
ingly for getting a new sett of the different fineness made for me, by the
best hand according to the enclosed measure; that I may take it with me
to Virginia, as I pas^ through }-our city on the nth or 12th of next month.
My Mrs. Lee writes me that she must and will have a handsome Bread Tray
for serving bread to Table ; also a Basket proper for holding clean plates and
one for foul plates. Now you must be informed that this demand comes from
too high authority for me to venture neglecting it ; therefore I must again
put your friendship to work to find these out. genteel ones, and that they
may be ready to go by Mr. Cramp, wh.o I expect will return to Phil'a. early
next month, by water. I ho[)e to see my Gun and Pistols here handsomely
repaired before the 5th of next month. My best wishes attend the whole
family, and that at German town, and I pray Cxod to have you in his holy
keeping; farewell."
" Chantilly, 4th December, 17S5. My dear Ne[jhew : The Saturday
night after I left you brought me sate to this place, where 1 have the happi-
ness to find all well. Our felicity would be com{)lete indeed if our Philadel-
phia friends made \n\n of our circle. I am not without hopes that it may
one day or other be the case. Already I treasure up your promise of visiting
thc-se parts before you cro.^s the Atlantic. You have numerous friends here,
who will rejoice to see you, and the fine sparkling black eyes of my little
l->ank will glisten wonderfully at the beautifiil blue eyes of his lair cousin,
IJ 'll T.J'
li.'lj m: "!'' ."■/
' -1. .1'
198 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
i v>*1
Peggy Livingston. Whether or not my health will permit my return to
Congress ne.xt year is a question that 1 dare not undertake to answer yet.
Neither my favourite little Boat or the Bo.x that I left at your house with part
of my baggage are yet arrived here ; nor have we heard a tittle of the vessel
(Mr. \Vyncoop's and Seamen's) that was to have sailed with them the Sunday
after I left you. Where is the vessel, and where are my things? if they yet
remain in Phil'a., the vessel commanded by Capt. Stewart, that lays at .\rch
Street Wharf, will bring and land them for me at Zachary Weaver's, where
he landed the Plaster of Paris.
" The plate and the Bread Baskets, bless me, the most important of all,
because commanded by the highest authority, as all married men know,
which pleasing influence will in due season be felt by my friend to whom I
write. The non-arrival of these baskets has been imputed to accident, for
says she, Mr. Shippen is polite and exact, so that no omission can possibly
have arisen from him. I agree that it is so, and we resolve to expect them
by the first fair wind. The Skreens too for my Dutch fan, that I was at such
pains to send the measure of, I unfortunatelv tbrgot in my haste. And now
my fan is quite useless for want of the Skreens. I pray you, my dear Cousin,
to let these things be sent expeditiously, together with two or three ounces
of the Butter Nut Syrup that your worthy Father promised to procure for
me. By means of Mr. Thomson, Merchant here from your City, I can and
will order you pa}'ment for these things the moment that I know their cost.
The roll or two of narrow pink ribbon for Molly's Tambour is also much
wanted. We all here join most cordially in love and compliments to your
whole family. And I pray you not to forget my best affection for the old
Doctor, when you see him. God bless you; farewell."
" Chantilly, 17 .April, 1787. My very dear Cousin : Since I parted
with you and my other very dear friends in Philadehihia, in the fall of 1785,
I have been agreeably employed in family cares and domestic concerns.
This pleasant life, with much attention to my health, has restored it beyond
my hopes; but yet not so firmly as to promise the power of again' engaging
largely with public affairs. Perhaps I may venture to Congress during the
course of the coming summer. I feel and see the unhappy state of jniblic
affairs that you describe ; but I hope for amendment.
" In May next a Convention is to meet at Philadeli>hia for the purpose
of amending our Federal Constitution. From this source perhaps we may
derive some good. We have everywhere young men coming forward with
worth and talents.
** From the Herald's office, in London, you may get the most perfect
information concernini: our familv before some of them came here, and I
AS J
Ul'' 5t'
'fci, 'M'
' ■ i \ .0 -t I
STRATFORD LINE, F'OURTH (;ENERA'nOM. 1^9
think my eldest lirnther did lods^c with tin- office an account of that part
of the family that came here. Your L ncle, A. Lee, who is now here, tells
me that Mr. \Vm. Lee did get from the Herald's Oflice a very complete ac-
count of the family. Tlie book you allude to is in the possession of Mr.
Fendall, who married my brother's widow, and he is at [iresent not in the
country. The elder branch of our famil}- lives now in Shropshire, near
Shrewsbury, and possesses undiminished the old original family estate. I
dare say he will be glad to see you when you travel that way, and he be-
comes acquainted with your extraction. I leceived the stockings and socks,
that you were so good as to send me, with (iTubie pleasure because they gave
me additional jjroof of your tViendship and because they are so admirably
fitted for the purpose they were intended. I liave worn them ever since
with great satisfaction. I hope, my dear friend, that you will continue your
agreable correspondence ; it will be a great comfort to me in my retirement.
But above all I hope you will not forget )Our promise of coming to see us
on your return to America. I assure you that I contemplate that time with
great delight. Will \ou give my best respects to the worthy Bishop of
Chester, when you see him, and inform him that I never rccei\'ed the letter
he was pleased to write me by Mr. Beverley. The gentleman took such meas-
ures as did indeed seem secure for conveying the letter, but it miscarried
by accident. I wish abo to be affectionately remembered to my friend, Ed-
mund Jennings, Escjr. If any very valuable and well approved blooks, in any
science (if they l)e not very dear indeed), shall make then- api>earance, be
so good as to send them to me, and on \our ai)i)lication to my Merchant in
London, Mr. Thomas I>lane, he will pay you the money for them.
" Farewell my dear Cousin, and that you ma\- be happy and return to yr.
native Country, is tlie prayer of your affectionate L'ncle and Friend."
•' New York. 22 July. ryS". M}- Dear Cousin : Having recovered my
health much better th:in I L\er e.xpected to have dojie, I have again taken
my seat in Congress. I arrised in this city a fortnight ago, having stayed
a week in Philadelphia, wliere 1 saw your t'riends all in good health, and
your father as usual iii high .spirits. I was extremely hap[)y to find that you
were so well placed for improvement, and to see under \our own hand such
strong proofs that \ou had greatly profited Ijy your situation.
"The Federal Convention at i'hiiadeli)hia is j.iroceeding slowly but I
hope surely in a practical ini[)rovement of our Federal Constitution. Expe-
rience seems to have i>ro\ed that our governments have not tone enough
for the unruly jiassions of men, and so far as I can judge the general wish is
for a balanced goveriiment where the powers shall be placed independently
as in England, and of a duiation somewhat longer than at present. Con-
el
''."''■ 1 , i. •
4o6 LEE OK VIRGINIA.
gress is proceeding with the ordinary business until the Convention shall
report their plan for consideration and rec(jminendation to the different
States. I suppose it will be recommended to the States to call conventions
for the special p.irpose of approving the new system, that it may rest on the
broad base of the peo[jlc's choice rather than on the more feeble opinion of
the ordinary legislatures.
" In my last to you from Virginia, I re([uesled you to send me a few of
the newest books, if there were any published of high character, and to
apply to Mr. Thomas Blane, Merchant in London, for the cash to pay for
them, and to deliver them to him that they might be forwarded to me. If
you have not already complied with this request, you need not now trouble
yourself about it; because I have written to Mr. Blane for as many books
as my finances will allow me to devote in one year to that article. But you
will very much oblige me by getting for me some one of the most approved
modern lamps of polished tin, such as Doctor I'Vanklin brought over with
him, for giving great splendor of light to a parlor where company sit. If,
in order to use this lamp any explanation is necessary, let such explanation
accompany it. Mr. Blane will receive and forward the lamp with my other
goods that he sends me the ensuing Fall ; and he will, on your application,
supply the money necessary to pay for it, as I have directed him.
"I pray you to remember me affectionately to Mr. Adams, and inform
him that I will shortly write to hita. Congress have not yet determined on
complying with his request to be permitted to return home ; but when they
do so, I will certainly do my endeavor to have Col. Smith appointed Charge
des Affairs at the Court of London, if such should be the plan fixt on. My
compliments, if you please, to Col. Smith. I hope to hear from you ere
long, because I am always happy to do so, being with the most unfeigned
affection and the truest regard, my dear Cousin, yours forever."
"P. S., 30 July. The want of nine States prevented a determination
on Mr. Adams' business by this packet, so that we do not know the future
arrangement. I enclose you, my dear Cousin, a letter tor our relation, the
Bishop of Chester.' It may bring you acquainted with a learned and worthy
man. Remember me to Dr. Cutting. Mr. Blane may be met with on
the Royal Exchange, the Virginia Walk. Seal the Bishop's letter before
delivery. Farewell."
" Chantilly, 21 Sept., 1791- My dear Nephew: The letter that you
• Bishop Porteus, of Chester, wn the soii of Col. Robert Porteus, of Virginia, who married a daughter
of Governor Edmund Jennings. Governor Jennings married F ranees, youngest daughter of Henry and
Alice (F.ltonhe.Ad) Corbin; her eldest lister, L^etitia, married Richard Lee-, and was the grandmother of
Richard Henry Lee *.
" My Dr.
•■ i ;ini I
tbe 3(i in;
Letters of Richard Heiuy Lee.
I LOCATION OF TUt; SKAT OF lU;NtUAL UOTL'KS-
Tlic^ followiiitr compose a turthi-r in.t4ill-
.0111 of I lie. 1,-tlei-s ot tlio Luf lairiily kindly
.oiinid 11- L'V Mr. Cassiiis F. Li-e, a numher
I ot v.lil.li hive already a|jpfariii in THE
ST.i.\iiAi;u at ditl'erenf tiio.'>. The preseut
ctters "(TP all addres^.il to Thomas Lee
jihiiHKU. .It Philadulphiu, th.- lU'iiliew .>f "'n',"'
'Richard llfury Lot, and ncrc wriltcu hy day, tl
' the last Jrom New Yorii, where he was then liiil (o
■ .ceildaiit a-i a delegate from Virsinia to the, J''^'^ "'
United States Congress. They give an in- ti,,,',,:,
resting aecount of the wrangle over the cus- 'i
cation of the seat ot the General Govern- wh.'i.
ent, and contain a pleasing melange of
jlitics, business, sentiment, and pluyfnl
adinage :
•'New YoKK, June 1, 1790.
'My Hear yephe
l-celveil Ibis letter arid when ; for as Heaven
I and Uell are no
■ and my seiitiiue
: osity may he pronij-ted to know what I
: write to you on the suhjeet. This letter will i
go from 'thenc:e bv to-morrow inorutug the
id .June."
• New Yor
■y.pi.c
discharge for both. Irl was to attempt
1 to keep us here the detail ot all the votes^ uianouvres and
11 known, curi- detour^ tir.i i'lv.- p< rrhxea Congress upon
■, I should tire both
iH thesefore remain
T-'r. At pre-ent I
.speetopensfor our
itssion. 1 think it
I, and therefore vou
•liorts shall not" be
:, .Tone lo, ITyO.
.r .! w.thyuursi
■iL'lit that it should hi
■t of Ol
lite Ih,
■ me
M:i
! dela
ud be.
ill
The b
till
gh.
Senate
mittoi
The V
d
int
vidod 12
, ilr. r
Pri-ido
fo
atl
It ,-
Wb i*
iy to be dis
ol the wliole Senate,
:. The Slemberij for
e then tried, and the
.nd 12 agt. the Com- "^'iwoou earn,
son voting with us. | ''^''r''. ''>' "'" '
It it to a private Com- sn""-'
■■".'rVtiedand delay
obe
letter oi the 2Sth MayfoiiMiI me lu ;i <o' :■- _■ ■ _
igreat grief, it having arrived ai-m t.v.i i, , - ;
I Jiotirs after the death ot our mu :, m ; i ; •
••iendColo. Bland,' who depariL-fl ; - : - , m ■■ ;
.this tijpuoon alter a paiiitul illii.-- yf ;; u.. .nil lin ■! : , , -
days. It 'iju;t l)e so " Good dyes immature ' pnOieil. ami I'm!. ■■.- ■
and a' 11 :■ Ici'lh beq'ueathuig endless pain." i yon liave little to '■?■
I Altlii.i. f .■iniug'il our prospects of meeting from (ra. My fami!;-
.tPhii...lnc nextsessiou were welHoundeti, at .Stl atford liave bi'en
jcpei-ieuee has so far proved that I was mis- the measles ; tliey are,
iken. To some of your friends I gave it as covered, or in a good
ly opinion that to prevent the Sliccess of where you know I plat
trigurs, It would be better not. to bring ate uncle, " Rt
irvvardthemotion untilliietimeof adjourn- 1 _
■jnt was come; they thought otherwise,; • "New Yokk, June 13, 17S0.
don the motion beingmaile in tiie Senate,
la lose it by amajoritv,.' I ,. I r : Philu
/ere "X. H., half of .Jer ■ , . i'. -^ng
gainst it) Pennsylva., U- ' '.•i.mI.
nd S'irginia. Against v.: -'i- ^j-etts,
>nnecticnt, N. Y.. half -Jc-r;. y, N. C, S.
X, and Georgia. A bill was then proposed
or tixing both Temporary and Perm;
i the i ^^''1 "01
riicelcL m.il,. ,"■ . ,i ,- i. right. 20
being Um ■ , . ■ 1 lor, and tlie
e of tlie'ni- i rinin me over
dollars is I.. ,; ... iLi [. lymcnt ot the
■orUing to the place
igcr to me it will be
ut it not I will pay the balance.
IS a Homager at the
's. and perhaps the
blv
t be
tor
.s the le
fri
erful
the old
tha
eat-, but in the nieantime the House ol
e)i!-e-.ee.tativfs p.i.-scd a r'--olve with a rna-
ritv oi ItJtouicet at ]-l.lii!. the ncxt Ses-
on. Their resolve and our Bill are both
ov,- lictnrc the Senate. No man who had
otiiM . ii.iiiL'li to ballance a straw, sees not
thill ih<- ([i.rt of the, Bill will operate- solely
to 111.; piirj..'.se of keeping Congress here,
wh.-ii now tnat Khode Island has acceded to
the ( .institution it will probably rvmain for
vho
I thro.
f ol ambition,
/. will I sup.
I thank God, all i
tvay. - CtIvc my love
; it. Your att'ection-
UARD Hekrt Lee.
My Dear Xepttew :
"1 have received your lettei- of the lOtli
ith a letter enclosed for Count Andriuni. ;
have been twice to search lor him in vain, i
11 be supliorted fo
C or bcautv like hers. Pre-
id'that iuu know I place it.
(1 Willi " Y'our aflectionatc f
" N. York, 30 June, 1700.
*' My Dear Nephem : ' ;
" Tust going to bed I have blit a moment
to inform vou that this day in Senate hv a'
^(ajoritv o( li; to ID we orilrred to the third
1..' .. llii, '.. .-...-i, : ,■-■ Congress to
: li there to re- i
111. ..11.. l:o to Poto- ,
\.. . .,■■.. 1-1 . .|...i:.; luit that we ;
• bill
ud
are
.■ tried I
jdge
clbi
■J voted and he,
1 spoke to ilr.
1. lie said that
and tliat he bad
io
liolding C
hg
rcss a
P!
ilJ !,■ ■-.
It
nud out
tear
nd.
..\r.! r.
tr
in
g your p
ac
a.gai
rt. it
failed 1
1 the U
ol
it
and tie
- h
nt
ip a J....S
Dive lo
m
I't
n(. n.'Vt
at
Haltii
lore
. Wliat
will b
tb
I'cT.-s/of
th
s I an
e 1 can
lot til
li
It
am stirt
tl
at 1
lily wis
1 t.S Ll.
tr
,m
hence.
Be
so 1^1
oil 1.
s to let 1
ll. „ ,.
th
th
a
ist of n
I iniiv se
y
tie
that a
L
icinda's
nt. I SI
'"bi'V."
pa
pe
th
■sthat C
It 1 hop
111
KInie
will
bor
eturueil
to 1 111
4 To
1 of Jiar
Ir
jn w i
h t
be Nail
rod'-.
ht
pe
bow eve
that he
will
take tliL
m as 1
gc
up and •
f n
ot as
be
goes up
that 1
if
do so .-L-
h
e reti
rns
down the rive
from
Alexai
dri
1, will
ch
lire he
may .
w
th
perfect
afi.
ty aiu
pri
priety.
Jly lov
\^
lit.
e it is di
' Sinccri-
i.v:
ml air
cti.
imtcly yr
urs.
•• RlCUAllU IlK.NHY
Lee."
assured tiiac a majority, in the H. of K. is
■there ready to receive and pass it. (11 the
success of this you will be informed in due.
season. The gentleman who will deliver
Mill this is the Nephew of our lati; wortliy
iriciiu Colo. Bland, and he deserves your
civiliti..s.f ily lovelo all my friends— fare-
well, ' "EtCHAtiD Hexkt Lee.''
Tlif-o.lrkkBlaiul.M.D..
st:lte-i
lanU
nils both at I'lulii
■ J\ iS.-Let me kn
my love
1
im 1 ,. 1 am not t
; you because I
nwi
ling to 1
ire ol ha
id and Un
■le,
creditor. ..^m
so
1 ackno
0 Hkskv 1
.ee.
' your debtor fo
r tw.
letters tl
luickly if
you
re- ivooU's r. c.-ip
, an
1 vour lj
in-t. iourg.
odm
-swillta
STRATFORD LINE, KOURIH GENEKATION*. 201
had the goodness to write to ine on the i iih inst., I received last evening.
We all here join in thanking you for the happiness created among us by
your information of the health of your Lady, yourself and my dear Sister
and Brother, your Father and Mother. It was but one copy of Anderson's
History of Commerce that I desired, having no possible occasion for more.
And this coi)y may remain at Philadelphia until I come there, which now
I expect will be about the loth of November, when I suppose forms will
have subsided into business: the first day of the session being the last day
of October, it may be hoped that lo days will be sufficient for the import-
ant negociation of compliments. I am now to beg a favour of you v.hich
I hope you will have the goodness to execute for me. To engage decent
Lodging and as convenient to the State House as possible, that my gouty
feet may sustain no injury from the wintry weather. If it can well be done,
I should prefer getting my meals where 1 lodge, and you will please to re-
member that Charles is to be provided for also. The time of entering to
be when I arrive, which I desire to be about the loth of November.
" I shall thank you very much for sending me a line to be left at
Charles Lee's in Alexandria, until I pass there, informing me where my
lodgings are that I may go there directly on my arrival. It will suit me well
if I can hire room for 2 horses and find provender myself. And if you think
that this last can be better procured now than when I come, you will greatly
oblige me by engaging both oats and hay for two horses for the probable
length of the session ; the cash shall be j)aid immediately on my arrival.
" How are the mighty fallen indeed ! It is not easy for a mind of
sensibility not to feel for the King and Queen of France, for the latter
especially. I think with you that few tracer of wisdom are t(j be found in
that attempt, but it is difficult to judge without knowing all the circum-
stances. I must confess that I am not yet so hardened with politicks as to
have lost humanity. Nur am I ashamed to own that I begin to be herirtily
sick of politicks and politicians. I think that generally speaking the former
may be called the science of fraud and the latter the professors- of that
science.
" We are not here behind my dear Niece in love of her and her sociable
and amiable manners. To her, to your good Father, Mother, and Sister,
we present our best affections. I am, wiili the truest affection, yours
always."
Mr. Lee's will, dated the iSth of June, 1793, and probated, Westmore-
land, the 24th of June, 1794:
In the name of God, Amen. I Richard lioiiry Lee of Chantilly in the county of West-
moreKind, being of sound and disposing mind, do nuike this my hir^t Will and Tc^t-^ment,
:-'i'ji|... (( 'O'^i *'■ if
I. Hi ">1f
i;:-0 !.
202 LFE OF VIRGINIA.
revokii!^ all others, thii eighteentli clay nf [uiie, one tllou^a!1(l ?even handred and ninety
three. First, I desire to be decently, privately and frugally buried in the family burying
ground at the Burnt House, as it is called, and as near to my late ever dear wife as 'tis possible
to place mine without disturbing her remains, and upon her left, so that my present dear
Mrs. Lee may be laid, when she dyes, on my right; and so my body may be laid between
those of my dear wives. Secondly, I ilesire my Executors, who will be hereafter named, to
pay as soon as possible, all my just debts. But I do earnestly recommend to my Executors not
to pay any demand made against my estate but such as are supported by evidence strictly
legal, or such demands as they or any of them know to be just. This desire is founded on
long oliservation of great injury being done to the estates of persons deceased, by fictitious,
false dem.tnds and accounts trumped up and sworn to upon a mistaken supposition that
such oaths give legal validity to accounts and demands so partially supported. Item. My
will and desire is that my Executors have my dear wife's dower assigned to her, with as
little trouble to her, and as >oon after my death as possible. Item. I give to my dear wife
over and above her dower my two leases for the plantation of Chantilly and the Marsh jiian-
ta ion, which leases were made to me by my brother Philip Ludwell Lee and my son Lud-
well Lee, and afterwards confirmed by Col. Henry Lee, under whom they are now holden,
and she is to be charged with the payment of one third of my debts. Item. I give and
bequeath unto my three sons, Thomas Lee, Ludwell Lee and Cassius Lee, and to their
heirs forever, all my lands in the County of Fauquier to be equally divided between the
three according to quiutity, quality and value taken together, so that each son may have as
equal part as possible, and this division I desire m.ay be made by three disinterested men
or the majority of them, to be appointed by the County Court of Westmoreland, who in
assigning to each son his part will have regard to the future falling in of my wife's dower,
after her death, and regulate both quantity and situation so that each son during my wife's
life may have a third part only of the remaining two thirds, and each a third part of my
wife's third part, when she shall dye. And my will is further upon this point that the parts
of my sons Thomas Lee and Ludwell Lee (to be circumstanced as mentioned) may be
assigned to them respectively as soon at'ter my death as it can conveniently be done. And
that the part assigned to ray son Cassius may be delivered to him at 21 years of age. And
the profits in the meantime to maintain Cassius. Item. I give to my son Cassius Lee my
negro bricklayer named Phil, to him and his heirs forever. .-\lso I give to my said son Cas-
sius Lee my gold watch that I have sent to London for, with the triangular gold seal,
given to me by .Mrs. Feudail and hanging to my watch. Item. I give to my aaid son Cas-
sius Lee my books, Encyclopedia or dictionary of arts and sciences in ten volumes quarto,
and Millots elements of general history, in five volumes octavo. Item. I give to my son
Francis Lightfoot Lee all my Law books of every kind and nature whatsoever, and two
hundred pounds sterling to be paid him by my Executors out of my personal e.>tate so soon
as he comes of age, in order to procure for him a gCK)d Law Library. Item. I give to my said
son Francis Lightfoot Lee and his iieirs forever my negro blacksmith, named Anthony, to be
delivered to my son at twenty-one years of age and in the meanwhile, during the minority of
my said son Francis, the said smith .\nthony to work at Chantilly gratis for the benefit of
my wife's two plantations of Chantilly and Hallows's Marsh. Item. I give to my said son
Francis Lightfoot Lee my gold watch and sleeve buttons of gold that I now wear, and the
triangular gold seal that wa_s his Uncle .\rthur's. Item. I give to my said son Francis the
four silver plates, silver spoons, silver pronged forks, with the knives that belong to the
travelling case, and the three silver Tumbrils belonging to the same case, all which appro-
priated to travelling "oy my late brother .\rthur Lee, V.^'\t., seem not to be included in the be-
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH OEXERATION. 203
quest of household furniture by hini <^iven to my son Francis l.ightfoot Lee all which
logetlier with tlie travelling case, I give to my said son Francis. Item. I give to my dear
daughter Mary Washington as specific legacies the mulatto girl Letty that has usually waited
on her, and the gold watch that came to me by my brother Arthur. Item. I give to my
dear daughters Harriot and Sally Lee the sum of eighty two pounds ten shillings current
money, to he equally divided between them, the same being the amount of Col. Turner's
bond to Mrs. Richards, and also I do give to my said daughters, Harriot and Sally, all the
money of Mrs. Richards that was found in this house at her death, amounting to forty
pounds two shillings currency, and given by Mrs. Richards in her will to my two said daugh-
ters, subjecting this legacy always to the deduction of six pounds nine shillings and six
pence paid by me for funeral expenses, and other charges on account of Mrs. Richards as
will appear on my ledger. Item. All the rest of my Estate both real and personal and of
what nature and kind soever that I may dye possessed of, or in any manner entitled to, not
herein before given, I do hereby give and bequeath to my dear daughters Mary Washington
of Haywood, Hannah Washington of Walnut Farm, Anne I^e of Alexandria, Henrietta Lee
and Sarah Lee, to them and their heirs forever, share and share alike, and I do hereby
constitute these my five daughter;, aforesaid my Residuary Legatees, alwa\s subjecting the
clause just preceeJing to the following exceptions. Item. I give to my dear son Thomas
Lee all the negr' is, men, women and children, that came to me by his mother my first dear
wife, except Jonas who is excepted in a deed of gift made for these negroes to my said son
Thomas lately and who is to go into the residuum given to my said daughters in place of
Newman one of m}' paternal negroes given to my son Thomas in the said deed of gift afore-
mentioned, wliich said negroes so coming to me by my first wife, I give to my said son
Thomas Lee and his heirs forever, excepting as is bej'ore excepted. Also, whereas I have
already given properly as part of their fortunes to my two first married daughters, as appears
on my Ledger to the a iiount of to my daughter Hannah Washington and to the
amount of to my daughter Anne Lee and have not yet made such provision for my
daughter Mary Washington of Haywood my will and desire is that a sum equal to what is
mentioned on my Ledger as above stated furnished to each of my said daughters, Hannah
and Anne, be first deducted, and a sum equivalent thereto be provided out of the residuum
(devised as aljove) for each of my daughters Mary Washington, Henrietta and Sallv Lee,
and the remainder to be shared .ivnong the five Daughters aforesaid, Mary, Hannah, Anne,
I lenrictta and Sarah. Item. My will is that if my son Thomas should distuib ray estate by
making any claim against it by or for reason of any Legacy left him by Gawen Corbin de-
ceased that then and in that case I revoke and absolutely annul the Legacy of land left him
in this my will, and desire that the said land so left to Thomas may be equally divided be-
tween my two sons Ludwell Lee and Cassius Lee and their heirs forever.
This my last Will and Te---tame;it all written with my own hand upon six pages of paper
at Chantilly, this eighteenth of June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred
and n'liety three. And for my last Will and Testament 1 humbly pray that it may be taken
by all Judges Justices and Courts before whom these presents shall come.
Codicil, iS June, 1793. I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear Wife Anne Lee,
my dear brother Francis Lightfgot Lee and my much valued friends and sons-in law William
.\ugustiiie NN'asiiington, Corbin Washington and Charles Lee of Alexandria, Esquires, my
Executrix and Executors of this my last Will and Testament, and guardians of my infant
children. This my codicil is also all written with my own hand at Chantilly the day and
year above mentioned.
Co>licil, May, 1704. Whereas it has always been my intention to make the fortunes of
■ ■ ■ .r>: '
264 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
my single daughter-, Harriol and Sally Lee, eijual to their marryed sisters; I have for that
purpose lent to Mr. tJeorge Lee, of I^udon County, the sum of five hundred and forty-three
jx)unds thirteen shillinj^s and four pence, current money of Virginia, for which he has given
his Bond bearing date the first d.-^y of October, 1793, to William Augustine Washington,
C'ubin Washington and Charles Lee, in trust for my use, or to such person or persons as I
shall under ray hand and seal, or by my la.st Will and Testament direct. Now my will and
desire is that the money lent to Mr. George Lee, for which he has given his Bond as afore-
said, be equally divided between my two daughters, ILirriot Lee and Sally Lee, but should
either of them die before marriage, in that case the part of the one so dying to be divided
equally between my Daughters Mary Washington, Hannah Washington, Anne Lee and the
survivor of the two licfore named. And whereas I have lent to Mr. William Augustine
Washington and Mr Corbin Washington the sum of $4,911.30 in six per cent, stock of the
United States, and the sum of SS33.39 in three per cent, stock of the LTnited States, for which
they have given their Bond bearing date the fourth day of May 1794 to my sons Thomas Lee,
Ludwell Lee, and my son-indaw Charles Lee, in trust for my use or to such person or persons
as I shall under my ha.id and seal, or by my last Will and Testament direct. Now my will
and de:5ire is that the sum of 51,507.33 of six per cent, stock of the L'nited States, lent as
above, be tijually di\ided between my two daughters, Harriot Lee and Sally Lee, and that
the sum of $3,403.97 of ;ix per cent, stuck of the United States, and the sum of $833.39 of
three per cent, stock of the United States, lent as above aforesaid, be equally divided between
my tive Daughters, Mary, Hannah, Anne, Harriot and Sally; but should either of ray
Daughters Harriot or Sally die before marriage, in that case the part left to them I direct to
be equally between my daughters Man,-, Hannah, Anne, and the survivor of them. Be it
remembered that thi> my codicil is not written by me but I desire it maybe received and con-
sidered as a part of my last Will and Testament, in witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this fourth day of May in the year of our Lord 1794.
Mr. Lee died two years after retiring tVom public lifej his constitution
had been enfeebled by his long and arduous labors. He was troubled much
with the gout, which attacked the abdominal viscera, and caused him great
suffering, but, tliough his body had become feeble, his mind retained its vigor.
He breathed his last at Chantilly on the 19th of June, 1794, and was buried
in the old family burial-place, at tlie " IJurnt House Fields," Mt. Pleasant,
as he desired in his will.
As in the case of liis father, Thomas Lee, tradition has given Richard
Henry the wrong burial-groimd. liolh he and his father were buried at Mt.
Pleasant. Richard Henry Lee expressly desired to be buried there ; saying
lie wished " to be decently, privately, and frugally buried in the family burial
ground at the Burnt House, ai, it is called, and as near to my late ever dear
wife as 'tis po.^sible," etc. There can be no rea.sou for sujiposing his request
was denied, esi)ecial!y as there is the corroborative testimony of one who was
at the funeral. The late Mrs. Charles Calvert Stuart, of "Chantilly,"
Fairfax county, wrote many years ago to the late Cassius F. Lee, Sr., of
Alexandria :
"Our grandfather, R. H. L-e, was buried near the old burying-ground
^y^ ! : . ' ■/ ■ ■■ . n M
/.f
'ir! ill- . .!fc:.;, J!!
..! . •' 1
'1-
STKATKOKD LINE, FOURTH GENERAIION. 205
at Mount Pleasant. Westmoreland county. I visited the spot many years
a;^'o ; the gentleniaii \vl-io went with me pointed out the spot, just outside of
the brick wall, and under a cluster of splendid shade trees; they told me
the graveyard was full and conse([uenll)' this was considered the best place.
.■Vunt Henry Lee told uie she well remembered the appearance of your dear
mother and mine when they came to their father's Inirial; Aunt Lee was
visiting at T>ee Hall at the time. I looked over the toniijstones. They v.-ere
those of the first Lees who came to this countr}-, the Richards, etc." The
Lee Hall mentioned here was the adjoining estate to Mt. Pleasant; in fact,
the old mansion of Lee Hall must have overlooked this graveyard.
In an article, " On the Northern Neck " of Virginia (^A?ne?-ican Gentle-
vicn of the Olden Time'), by Benjamin Ogle Taylor, 1S51, there is given an
extract from a letter written by an old lady; it is dated "Locust Farm,"
Westmoreland, and says : " I am now away down here in the Northern Neck
of Virginia, and not far from the spot on which Washington was born ; scat-
tered here and the'e all around me are the l/irthj^laces of Madison,^ Monroe,
and Richard Henry Lee. Yesterday I was on the ground on which rest the
ruins of the residence of Richard Henr}- Lee. All that stands upright of that
(once) imj)osing mansion is the kitchen chimney. \\\ front scarce a half
mile distant is the shore of the lordly Potomac, here about nine miles across.
Lee is gone, his house is in the dust, his garden a wild ; but here are the
same bky, the same lands, the same I'otomac. and the same dirge that of
yore broke in murnir.rs on the shore. The remains of Lee lie in the midst
of a corn-field, some five miles distant, and on which, I am told, is a stone
with his name engraved upon it."
Of the home of Richard Henry Lee, little is known. Thomas Lee
Shippen, when describing his visit to Westmoreland, wrote his father that
Chantilly "commands a much finer view than Stratford by reason of a
large bav into uhich the Potomack lurms itself opposite Chantilly. . . .
The house is rather commodious than elegant. The sitting-room, which
is very well ornamented, is 18x30 feet, and the dining-room, 20x24."
l""rom the inventory and ajjpraiseraent of the furniture, etc., at Chantilly, it
is learned that there were a dining room, library, ])arlor, and chamber on
the first floor. The hall being, as was usual, furnished as a sitting-room,
contained : a mah(\gany desk, twelve arm chairs, a round and a square
table, a covered walnut table, two boxes of tools, and a trumpet. On the
second floor there were four large chambers, and a smaller one at the head
of stairs; two rooms in third iloor ; store rooms, and closets. The out
' Alluding, doubtless, to the tradition thr\t Madison had been born at Port Conway ; hii mother, it was
»iil, wai there on a visit.
'.>rf .
W,;^ .! -1' '(
>!■ .■',■ ■! •
206 LEF OF VIRGINIA.
buildings mentioned were : kitchen, dairy, blacksmith shop, stable, and
barn. The enumeration of the liooks in the library showed about 500
separate works, on science, history, politics, medicine, farming, etc., etc.,
which were ajjpraised at ^229 ics. 7d. Of money in the house at the time
of his death, there were $54 silver, valued at S^\G 4s. ; in bank at Alex-
andria, ^iSi 19s. yd; "Tobacco notes" for 13,907 pounds, nett.
Richard ?Ienr\- Lee was twice married ; first, on the 3d of December,
1757, to Anne Aylett, who was probably a daughter, or maybe grand-
daughter, of \\'illiam and Anne Aylett, of King William county; she died
on the i2lh of December, 176S, leaving four young children, and was
buried, as stated in her husband's will, at Mt. Pleasant. But^a monument
was placed in the old church at Nominy, to her memory — another instance
of a person, buried in the old family burying-ground, while the tablet to
her memory was placed in a church some miles off. The old Nominy
Church stood upon a slight hill overlooking Nominy creek, and was about
five miles from Mt. Pleasant, and about the same distance from Stratford,
being situated between the two estates. The old church was burned many
yeais ago; anotlier building has been built near the former site. This copy
of the inscription on the tablet is from a manuscript in his writing:
''Description of my dear Mrs. Lee's monument in Nominy Church."
Sacred to the Me;noiy of Mrs. Anne Lee, wife of Col. Richard II. Lee. This monu-
rient was erected by her alTacted husband, in the year 1769.
Reflect dear reader on the great uncertainty of human life, since neither esteemed tem-
perani.ent nor the most ami.able goodness could save this excellent Lady from death in the
bloom of Life. She left behind her four children, two sons and two daughters. Obiit 12th
December, 176S, a;t. 30.
" Was then so precious a flower
But given us to behold it waste,
The short lived blossom of an hour,
Too nice, too fair, too sweet to last."
Richard Henry and Anne (Aylett) Lee had these four children :
i, Tho.m.as^, See 32.
ii, LuDWELL^ See 2,2,. ' ' I-' ■ - •
iii, M.\Rv\ ''Was born on Saturday, the aSth day of July, 1764, in the
night. She was christened by the Rev. Archibald Campbell, the nth
of March, 1765, and her proxies were Mr. Francis Lightfoot Lee, Mr.
Joseph Lane and Jan.ies Davenport, with Miss Elizabetli Steptoe, Miss
Betty Washington, and Miss " (paper torn). She married on
the 5th of July, 1792, Col. William Augustine Washington, the son of
,i; i :
. Ur. .•» '
Oi iX i-A- I
.1 i. , L^'fi: .'
i. .1./
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 207
Augustine and Anne (Aylett) Washington, and died early in life,
leaving no i>.si:e.
iv, Hannah % the record of her birth, etc., in the family Bible cannot be
deciphered. She ^vas probably born in 1766; she died about iSci ;
married on the 10th of May, ij.Sy, Corbin Washington, of "Walnut
Farm," Westmoreland, son of John Augustine and Hannah (Bushrod)
Washington, and had six children. (See Washington Family.)
Richard Henry Lee' married, secondly, about June or July, 1769,
Mrs. Anne ((Raskins) Pinckard, who was the widow of Thomas Pinckard
(by whom vhe had. at least, one child, a son) and the daughter of Col.
Thomas Ciskins, Sr., of ^^^"iHe^eland, and the sister of the Col.
Thomas Gaskins who was prominent during the Revolution. In 1783
Thomas Gaskins, Sr., executed a gift deed to his " daughter Anne Lee,
now intermarried with Richard Henry Lee " (North' d records). Mrs.
Lee survived her husband. By his second marriage, Mr. Lee had
issue two sons and three daughters, whose names and ages are taken
from his Bil'^" :
v, Anne% ^'born the first day of December, 1770, and was christened
the first day of January, 1771 ; her sponsors \\ere Mr. Francis Light-
foot Lee, Dr. Steptoe, Mrs. Richard Lee and Miss Sarah Gaskins. She
was christened by the Rev. Thomas Smith." She died the 9th of Sep-
tember, 7804; married, her cousin Charles Lee (36, q. v.). on the
nth ot February, 17S9. and left issue.
vi, Henrietta^ "born on the loth day of December, 1773. She was
christened by the Rev. Thomas Smith, the day of January, 1774,
and her sponsors were Capt. John Lee, Richard Lee, George Lee, and
James Steptoe, Esqrs., Miss Eliza Gaskins. Miss Matilda Lee, and
Miss Mary Lee." She died in 1S03-4; was twice married; ist,
about the 14th December, 1794, to Richard Lee Turberville."' and lett :
I, Cornelia Lee, who married Charles Calvert Stuart, of " Chantilly."
Fairfax county. 2, George Lee, who married a Miss Dobell and had
issue. 3. Richard Henry, who died without issue. Henrietta (Lee)
Turberville married, secondly, the Rev. William Maffit, of South Caro-
lina, and had two children: i, Anne Lee, who died unmarried. 2,
' .Arthur I.ee to R. H. Lee : ". . . .My letters by Johnstone brought me an account of your marriage ;
on which I give you and Mrs. L/Cc joy with a!' my heart."' — 4th of August, 17^9-
"... I m.-iy now I hope congratulate you on your marriase with Mrs. Pinckard ; the imall acquaint-
ance I \\Aii with her gives me great reason to believe she will make you happy ; and 1 most ardently pray
ir at her goodness m,,y prevent both you an i the poor little ones \i ho survive, from feeling the loss of the
tender and aiuiub'.e wife and mother that is gone." — 15th of August, 170.
-At the reiniest of " .Anne Lee" a marria:;;e license was granted at Westmoreland, on the 13th of De-
cember, I7;.4, between Richard Lee Turberville and Henrietta Lee, tpinster.
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2o8 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Harriotte, who married the Rev. Reuben Post, and left issue. (See
Turberville.)
vii, Sarah ^, "born the 27th of November, 1775, ^"'^ ^^'^^ christened by
the Rev. Mr. Smith ; her proxies were, Thomas Ludwell Lee, and Henry
Lee, Esqrs., Miss Eliza Lee, Miss Mary Lee, Miss Nancy Lee, and Miss
Hannah Lee." She died at Alexandria, the Sth of May, 1S37 ; mar-
■ ried her cousin Edmund Jennings Lee (39, (]. v.), of Alexandria, and
left issue.
viii, Cassius% "born at 3 o'clock at night on the i8th of August, 1779;
was christened loth of October, 1779, by the Rev. Thomas Smith:
his proxies were, Rev. Mr. vSmith and Mrs. Armistead, Miss Alice Lee
of Maryland, and Miss Nancy Lee of Chantilly and Miss "
(record torn).
" May every Qesar feel,
Tlie keen deep searching of a Patriot's steel."
"Dyed at Princeton on the Sth of July, 1798, in the 19th year of
his age Cassius Lee (son of R. PL Lee, Esqr.) a student of Nassau
College, New Jersey. Let not the voice of sorrow be repressed, let it
teach those who knew him not, to appreciate the loss the community has
sustained in the death of this amiable young man. He was endowed with
feelings the most ardent and philanthropic, united to a superior intellect,
assiduously cultivated, combined with sentiments of Liberality and
Benevolence. But, alas ! the hopes formed of such a youth v/ere never
to be realized, he was received by the Grave, almost at the time he
was to leave the place of his education, and bestow his talents on his
Country. From the short period of his life, his acquaintance was con-
fined to a few! but while one of that few remains, he will be respected,
. beloved and lamented.
"'Some messenger of God from Earth returning
Saw this beauteous llower, transported gathered it
And in his hand t)ore it to Heav'n rejoicing.' "
•'"■'■'■ •■ (Signed) Cornelia Lee.
ix, Francis LI(;HTFOOT^ See 34. . . ■.
GASKLNS Wn.LS.
Thomas Gasc<3yne, dated the 20th of June, 1663; probated on 9th of
Noveiuljer, 16G5 ; legatees: Josias, John, and Henry Gaskoyne ; will signed
"Thomas Ga-.kin."
Thomas Gaskins received a grant of 300 acres on the 9th of September,
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STRATFORO LINE, FOCRTH GENERATION. 209
1636, for the transportation of Thomas Gaskins, Elizabeth Gaskins, Josiah
Gaskiiis, Mary Gaskins, Alice Gaskins, and Josiah Gambling, and for his
own " adventure." There is recorded a deed, dated the 29th of July, 1657,
from Thomas Gaskins to his cousin, Elizabeth, daughter of John Gambling.
On the 26th of May, 1653, Thomas Gaskins made a deposition, and stated
his age to be 52 years.
Will of Isaac Gaskins, dated the 2 2d of October, 1709 ; probated the
iSth of January, i 71 2 ; legatees : sons Isaac and Samuel, wife's son Thomas ;
mentioned daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Hannah ; Thomas Gaskins and
PJartholomew Schrever, overseeis of will.
Thomas Gaskins, dated the 28th of April and probated the 20th of
September, 1726; mentioned wife Martha; granddaughter Elizabeth
Gaskins; grandsons. Thomas and Edwin Gaskins; son Thomas residuary
legatee. On the 17th of June, 1713, Thomas Gaskins executed a gift deed
to his granddaughter, Sarah Hull, daughter of Richard Hull.
On the Sth of .\ugust, 1737. the will of a Thomas Gaskins was ordered
to be recorded, but no record of it exists. But on the 12th of March, 173S,
Mary Gaskins, widow of Thomas Gaskins, received her sliare of his estate,
also the wife of Richard Hull, and on the 9th of November, 1741, shares
were allotted to his children : Thomas, Edwin, Sarah Ann, John, and Annie,
each one-fifth part. Elizabeth Schrever (will dated on the 17th of July,
'737- probated on the iithof 7br, 1737) left her estate to '' aunt ^Slary Gas-
kins, uncle Richard Hull, and cousins, Elizabeth, Thomas, Edwin, Sarah-
ann. Anne, and John Gaskins, the children of imcle Thomas Gaskins."
Thomas Gaskins, no date to will ; probated on the i 2th of April, i 7S5 ;
mentioned wife Sarah; children: Thomas, Anne, Sarah, Elizabeth, and
Henry Lee Gaskins ; sons in-law, Richard Henry Lee, Edward Diggs and
John Hull, Ex'rs. .\lso mentioned Thomas Pinckard, as late husband of
daughter, Anne Lee. In 1769 Thomas Gaskins, Sr., deeded 391 acres to
Thomas Gaskins, Jr., which had been devised to him by his father, Thomas
Gaskins. In 1770 Col. Tho:nas Gaskins and Capt. Thomas Craskins were
both vestrymen of old Wycomico Church. (OA/ Churches, &C., H, 46S.)
In 17S3, ''Thomas Gaskins, Sr., executed a gift deed to his daughter
.\nne Lee, now intermarried with Richard Henry Lee." (Northumberland
records.)
THE WASHINGTON FAMILY.
An enthusiastic genealogist once traced the descent of this family from
Odin, the mythical King of Scandinavia. It is needless to add that no one
ever credited such a claim. Yet, imtil very recently, no exact data had been
Ll.
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LEE OF VIRGINIA.
discovered to prove their true descent. Tliis problem has been finally
solved through the careful and painstaking researches of ]Mr. Henry F.
Waters, whose numerous contributions to American genealogy are so well
known. He lias shoun that the two \'irginia imrnigranl.s, John and
Lawrence, were descended, in the eighth generation, fronn John Washing-
ton, of Wliit field, County Lancaster, England. Lawrence, grandson of
this John of ^\"hitfleld, died in 15S4; on his tomb at Sulgrave Church was
a fine cut-in brass of his arms. Lately a deed has been found, dated 1601,
with the sign^iture and a vers' clear wax imprtsion of the arms of his son,
Robert.^ Still another representation of their arms was on the tomb of
Lawrence, son of Robert, who died in 1616. Thus there are accurate
representations of the Washington arms,
fj asused in England by three successive gen-
^v^
i:,r^y -■■[?;:' f^^ <^'''^X'^if erations — Lawrence, Robert, and Law-
.' ■ "t-MI ^% '-bA/ rence. These are the same arms as al wavs
used b}- the Virginia branch, and are said
to have been the origin of the stars and
stripes of ihe American flag. A copy of
the well-known book-plate of General
_ ; ^ v'^^ Washington is given here, sliowing these
^ : .?/ ^f.' Q^r arms.
:J
John, the elder of the two immi-
grants, is supposed to have settled in
Virginia some years prior to 1655. In
a commission to the military officers of
Westmoreland, dated on the 4th of
April, 1655, he was styled " Major.'"
He was a Justice in 1662; Burgess, 1666, 1676 (11, Hening, 250). John
was twice married, but nothirig is known about his first wife. He remarried
before 1659. for on the ist of May, 1659, a deed was executed by Nathaniel
Pope to his daugh.ter, ".\nn Pope ah ^\'ashington." On the 13th of June,
1661, "'Mrs. Ann Pope alias Washington" patented 700 acres in West-
moreland. John Washington probably died in the latter part oi 1676; his
will was dated the nth of September, 1675, and was probated on the loth
of January, 1677. He mentions his children in this order, Lawrence (stated
to be the eldest), John and Ann. The document is a very curious one. To
IThis very interesting documert h.is Lately been acquired by J.imes J. Goodwin, Esq., of Hartford,
Conn., through whose libcr.ility Mr. Waters w.-.s enable! to prosecute his researches amongst the English
r'-cords that fin lily led to t -.e tracing of the true ancestry of thf Virginia Washington^.
* William anj Afary Ci^Ue^e Quarterly ^ \\\ i^rj, et if].
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STRATFORD LIKE, FOURTH GE'.NERATIOX. 211
the lower chiirrli of Wasliington parish he left " }••= ten Commar.dments &
the Kings armes '.v'=" is my desire be sent for out of w' mony I have in Eng-
land." Desired to be buried on his plantation, be^^ide his deceased wife and
two children.' Laurence, son ot the immigrant, mentioned that his father,
mother, brothiers, sisters, and some of his own children had been buried at
Bridge's Creek, Westmoreland, before the date of his will, nth March,
1697-98. From these children of John" Washington a numerous family has
descended.
The eldest son, Lawrence, married Mildred, daughter of Col. Augustine
Warner, of Gloucester county, by whom he had two sons and a daughter.
Of these, i, John married Catharine Whiting, of Gloucester, and had
Warner, Henry, and three daughters. 2, Augustine (died the 12th of April,
1743, aged 49) was twice married; first, on the 20th of April, 1715, to
Jane, daughter of Caleb Butler, of Westmoreland, by whom he had three
sons — Butler, Lawrence, and Augu.-^tine — and a daughter ; of these sons
Lawrence married Anne, daughter of the Hon. \\'illiam Fairfax, of " Bel-
voir," Fairfax county, and died without surviving issue, leaving his estate.
Mount Vernon, to his younger and half-brother, George ^Vashington ; his
widow married Col. George Lee, of " Mt. Pleasant." Augustine (the
youngest son of .\Ligu3tine and Jane Butler) lived at Wakefield, Westmore-
land ; he married .^nne, daughter and co-heir of William Aylett, of West-
moreland. (This William Aylett was probably the " Capt. Wm. Aylett,
Jr.," who married Anne, the daughter of Henry Ashton, of \\'estmoreland ;
his will mentioned two daughters, Elizabeth and Anne.) They had issue,
three daughters and one son : Elizabeth, Jane, .\nne, and William Augustine
Washington. I'he son (bsjrn the 25th of November, 1757 ; died at George-
town, in October, iS 10) was married three times. First, to his cousin, Jane,
daughter of Jolin .Vugu-line and Hannah (Bushrod) Washington, and had
several children ; he ne.xt married Mary, the eldest daughter of Richard
Henry Lee, by his first wife, but had no issue; his third wife was Sally,
daughter of Col. John Tayloe, of " Mt. Airy," Richmond county, by whom
he had two or three children.
.A.ugustine, the elder, after the death of Jane Butler, married on the 6th
of March, 1 730-1, ^L^ry, daughter of Col. Joseph Ball, of " Epping
Forest," Lancaster county, by whom he had four sons and two daughters:
George, Elizabeth, Samuel, John Augustine, Charles, and Mildred. Of
these sons, John Augustine, born the 13th of January, 1736; died in Feb-
ruary, 17S7; married FLannah, daughter of Col. John Bushrod, and had
>.V. E. Hut. an J Gen. Rfgister, XI-V. 2co et Sr:q.
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ai2 LEK OF VIRGINIA.
issue: Jane (wlio married her cousin, as just stated), Mildred, Bushrod,
Corbin, and \Vi!liam Augustine. Of these children, Mildred, born at
" Bushfield," aliout 1760, married, about 17S0, Thomas, son of R. H. Lee.
Corbin, of '• Walnut Farm," Westmoreland, married Hannah, daughter of
R. n. Lee, as stated, and had issue (as named in Hannah Bushrod AVashing-
ton's will): i, Richard Henry Lee. 2, Johii Augustine, born the 26th of
May, 17S9; died ; married on the 14th of November, iSii, Jean
Charlotte, eldest daughter of CaiA. Richard Scott Blackburn, U. S A., and
Judith Ball, hi> first wit'e ; she was born ; died in 1S56; they left
three children, Anna Maria, John Augustine, and Richard Blackburn Wash-
ington. 3, Bushrod Corbin, born the 25th of December, 1790; died 28th
of July, 1S51 : n^.arried in iSio, Anna Maria I'liomasina, second daughter
of Capt. R. S. Blackburn, and sister of his brother's wife ; they had two
children : Hannah Lee, who married William P. Alexander, and Thomas
Blackburn, who married Rebecca J. Cunningham. 4, Mary Lee, born
; died in 1S77 : married in 1S19, Xoblet Herbert, and left two sons.
5, Jane Mildred. 6. A son, Corbin, who was mentioned in liis grand-
mother's will as '' now an infant ;" he probably died young.
The children of John Augustine, and Jean Charlotte (Blackburn) Wash-
ington, mentioned above, nianied as follows:
i, Anna ^Llria, tlieir second child, (the eldest George, having died young),
was born 5th November, 1817 ; died on the 29th of March, 1S50; mar-
ried on the 15th of May, 1S34, Dr. William Fontaine Alexander, and
had seven children.
ii, John Augustine, born on 3d of May, 1820; was killed at Cheat
Mountain, in AVest Virginia, on the 13th of September, 1S61 ; he mar-
ried in February, 1842, Llcanor Love Selden, and had seven children :
I, Louisa Fontaine, born 19th of February 1S44 ; married Col. R, P.
Chew, C. S. A., and has i^sue. 2, Jean Charlotte, born i6th of May,
1846; married Nathaniel P. Willis, and has issue. 3, Eliza Selden,
unmarried. 4. .A.nna Maria, born 17th of November, 1851 ; married,
22d July, 1S73. the Rev. Beverly Dandridge Tucker (son of Nathaniel
Beverly, and Jane Ellis Tucker), and has issue. 5, Lawrence, born
14th of January, 1854; married, on the 14th of June, 1876, Fannie,
daughter of Thomas Lackland, of Ch.arlcstov>n, West Virginia, and has
issue. 6, Eleanor Love, born 14th of March, 1S56; married on 5th of
^^ay, 1S80, Julian Lloward, of Richmond county. 7, George, born
22d of July, 1858.' This Col. John .Augustine Washington was the
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bTKAlKORL) i.INE, FOLRIK t ,EN ERA IH )X. 213
last of his fainily to o.sn Mt. ^'ernon. He sold it in iS6o, tu ihc
" Mt. Vernon Ladies Assuciation."
iii. Richard Blackburn Washington, born 12th of November, 1S22 ; die
; married, on the 20th of November, 1S44, Christine Maria,
daughter of Samuel Walter, and Louisa (Clemson) Washington, of
'' Harewood ;" they had issue: i, Elizabeth Clemson, born 21st of
August, 1845. 2, John Augustine, born 27th of May, 1847. 3, Ann
^L F. Blackburn, born ist of November, 1S49. 4, Louisa Clemson,
born 17th of November, 1851. 5, Samuel Walter, born ist of Novem-
ber, 1S53. 6, Richard Blackburn, born 21st of March, 1S56. 7, Chris-
tine ^Laria, born i3ih of June, 1S58. 8, George Steptoe, born 7th of
June, 1S60; is married.
g
iv, William de Hertburn, born 14th February, 1-86-4. iJ<i^.
3, Mildred (born 1695-6). the only daughter of Lawrence and Mildred
(Warner) Washington, was married three times; first a Gregory, " Mrs. Mil-
dred Gregory" Avas one of General Washington's sponsors; she married,
secondly. Col. Henry Willis, v,ho.ie daughter, Mary \\'illis, had married
(1733) Hancock Lee.
Lawrence, the other Virginia immigrant, is supposed to have arrived
some years after his brother John. He was the ancestor of "the Chotank
branch" of the Washington fainily, which has not been thoroughly traced
out. Lawrence was born in Bedfordshire, England, in 1635 ; died, in Vir-
ginia, in 1677. He left a son, named John, who was mentioned in the wills
of his uncle ALijor John and of his cousin, Lawrence Washington. He
married Mary, daughter of Richard Townshend, and left, amongst others,
Henry (i 695-1 747), of Stafford county; his youngest son, Bailey Wash-
ington, o( "Stafford Co. Gent.," married Catharine Stork and had: Baily,
of "Windsor Forrest," Stafford, who married Euphan, daughter of James
and Elizabeth (Westwood) Wallace ; their eldest son was Dr. Bailey Wash-
ington, l\ S. N., born in Westmoreland in 1787; died in District of Co-
lumbia, 4th of August, 1S54 ; he married Ann Matilda, daughter of Richard
Bland and Elizabeth (Collins) Lee; she was born at "Sully," on the 13th
July, 1799; <^'^<i ^^ 20th December, iSSo, leaving one son and three
daughters (see 37, iii).
(Information concerning Washington family, etc., from Ford's Wash-
ington Wills; Hayden's I'u. Genealogies.')
The will of Hannah Bushrod is worth preserving ; an abstract of it is
given. The portions omitted are simply enumerations of furniture, etc.,
given to the legatees named.
J?
. '" 1^
2 14 Lf-^ OF VIRGINIA.
" In the name of God, Air.en. I Hannah Waslun^ton of lUibhtiel'l in the parish of
Cople and County of Westmoreland, Loifg sound in mind though weak in body and health
make this my last Will and Testament. I am very conscious of my great inability in draw-
ing up any instiurr.^jiit of writing yet as none except iny dearest friends will b.; at all con-
cerned about it, [ ti'.;-t that tliey wi!! make every allowance for the defects which they may
meet with here. I ^h:v\ try to cx[ lain ray desire which I hope uill be sufficient. The
cruel custom in this country of hurrying a poor creature into a coffm as soon as the man-
agers of the business (who arc generrdly indeed pei.ple quite indifferent about the deceased
or the most ignorant) suppose them dead; the friends at that awful moment quit the room
and leave their dear friend to the discretion of these creatures who tired of setting up and
confinement have them hurried into the coffin. No physician in the world can possibly tell
whether or not a person is dead until putrifactlon takes place and many have most assuredly been
hurr'd away [•efore they were dead. A.s I ever had a most horrid idea of such usage I most
earnestly entreat my friends to act willi me in the following manner, and that when it is
thought I am dead that I remain in iiiy bed quite undisturbed in every respect, my face to be
uncovered not even the thinne-l thing to be laid over it also I do request that not one thing
shall be attempted about washing or dressing me. No la\Ing out as it is called I beg. I there-
fore most earnestly pray that I may be allowed to remain in my bed just as I did whilst
living imtil putrifaciion by every known sign justifies my being put into the coffin; it is
mv will to be laid by niy ever de.ir husband. It is my will and desire that after all my just
and lav.-fuil debi- are paid, winch indeed are but few, that my estate shall be disposed off
in the following manner. In the first place I give and l:.e([ueath to my di arest and most
tenderly belc■^■ed son Bu/nrod WashiuL'ton all my stock, horses, &c., &c., not hereafter dis-
posed of . . . on this plantation." Then follows a long list of furniture gi\en to same son,
part of which belonged " to Mrs. Hannah Washington of Selby." ..." I give and be-
queath to my Dearest and greatly beloved grand-Daughter Ann Aylett Robinsi^n the whole
of my Drawing room furnitare," cvic, &c. . . . "In the ne.\t place I give and bequeath to
my ever darling grandson Richard Henry Lee Washington" some silver plate. Part of
which " was sent for to the Federal City to cost /30, being a legacy horn my worthy
Brother in La\v' General Washington." To the same gran ison she left a negro woman, who
" was a very good Cook, her age I suppose to be about forty and a very healthy hearty
v^oman, she also spins, washes atid Irons Extremely well." If this grandson died before
coming of age, the property left him was "to be the property of my truly beloved (now an
infant) Grandson Corbin Washington of .Selby, in case of my grandson Corbin Washington's
death his brot'-ers John Augustine and Bushrod Corlnn Washington to have it. I give to
j:iv dearest daiigh'.er in-Lnw Hannnh Washington all my spun and unspun cotton," and
some furniture described at length. ..." 1 direct to my dearest daughter in law Anne
Washington a mourning ring to cost ten pounds current money of Virginia, and one half of
my little library, the other half to .-\nne Aylett Robinson." Horses to be given to " Daugh-
ter in Law Hannah Washington '' and " dearest son Bushrod Washington." To " dear good
friend Mrs. Mary Harrington wife to Doctor Timothy" some furniture. ... "I give my
maho'^'any dressing table and the small cabinet which stands on it with a looking glass door
to my deare:-t grand daughter Jane Mildred Washington. I give my beloved Mary Lee
Washington ray h.mdsome Chamber table and the dressing glass \Nith three small drawers
which standi on it." ... "I give my dear grand-daughter Anne A)lett Washington the
miniature of my ever darling Mildred Lee. My other trinkets I desire may be equally
divided between my three granddiaughters Vi/t. -Xnne Aylett Robinson, Jane Mildred and
Mary Lee Washington ;" to tiie same three were given her clothing, &c. A '' mourning
Ijf. .'
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH CENKUATION. 215
ring of five poundi value currency of Viri^iuia to my beloved grandson Bushrod Waihington
son of WilHnni Aucjustine Washini^ton and my dear daii;,;hter Jenny. My liaud is so very
well known that I truil this my last \\'ill and TCitament needs no vouchers. 1 constitute my
Darling son Bushrod Washinglon and William Robinion, the lattt-r \sho married in)' Dear
granddaughter Anne Aylett Washington, my Executors.'" No date ; was probated at West-
moreland on the 2Gth of April, ihloi.
Francis Lightfoot Lee.
19. Fraxcis Lightfoot*, the sixth son of Thomas Lee" (Richard*,
Richard') and Hannah Ludwell, his wife, was born at Stratford, the 14th
of October, 1734, and died at his home, " Menokin," Riclunond county,
about January of 1797. Francis Lightfoot Lee was educated at home by a
private tutor, the Rev. Mr. Craig, who not only made him a good scholar
but imbued liirn with a genuine fondness for the study of the classics, and
for literature in general. Mi. Lee, on arriving at manhood, first settled in
Loudoun couri;.y, the land,^ left liim b}' his failier being in that county; he
and his broLb.er. Philip Ludwell, are mentioned as among the founders of
the town of J-ecsburg; aj early as 1765, he appeared in public life, being
chosen a Ij'u'gcss from that county. A k\v years later, on his marriage, he
moved from Loudoun to Ricliuiond county, and built himself a home which
he called Menokin, from the Lidian name, Manakin. Being chosen a
Burgess from Richmond county, he was acting in that position when the
first ruml)lings of the coming storm were heard, and seems to have promptly
taken his stand by the side of his brothers as an earnest patriot. When in
August, 1775, Col. Bland resigned his position as a representative in the
Continental Congress, George Mason, himself refusing the position, recom-
mended Francis Lightfoot Lee, and he was chosen.' It is not recorded that
he held any position as a speaker; his usefulness, therefore, la}' in the
quieter and kss ostentatious forms of public service, and it may be safely
assumed tliat he was useful, for he was successively re elected in 1776-77-
78 ; in the spring of 1779 he retired from Congress, being averse to a public
life and lioping to be allovved to live henceforth a quiet country life. But
not so; he was soon called again to the front, this time to serve in the
Senate chamber of the Virginia Assembly.
Mr. Lee's chief public services, while in Congress, were to assist in
frairiing the articles of the old confederation, and later in his vigorous de-
mand that no treaty of peace should be made with Great Britain which did
not guarantee to the Americans the freedom of the northern fisheries and
the free navigation of the Mississippi river; subsequent events have amply
• Calendar Fa. State Paters, I, 368.
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2l6 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
[jroven the wisdom of his foresiglit in making this demand. Mr. I.ee was
also with his brothoi, Ricliard Henry, a signer of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
At one period of the Revolutionary War, some of their enemies tried
to prove that " the Lees of Virginia," as they called them, were secretly,
if not openly, hostile to General 'Washington. This charge has been com-
pletely refuted; in fact, that great j)atriot had no warmer personal friends,
nor any more sincere political supporters than Richard Henry Lee, Francis
Lightfoot Lee. Henry Lee, and others of the flimily. A perusal of their
private letters ampl\' sustains this assertion. An anecdote is told of Francis
Lightfoot Lee, which well illustrates his admiration for Washington. Being
one day at the county court house, just after the new federal Constitution
had been adopted at Ph!ladel[)hia, and was, of course, the subject of gen-
eral interest, some one asked his opinion of it. He replied that he did not
pretend to be a good judge of such important matters, but that one circum-
stance satisfied him in its tavor ;' this was that ■' ("icnoral A\'asliington was in
favor of it and John Warden \\"as against it." Warden was a Scotch lawyer
of ti)e county, who had just been making a s[ieech against the ratification
of tlie new Constitution.
A writer on the Signers of the Declaration of Independence has said
oi' him: "In the Spring of 1779, Mr. Lee retired from Congress, and
returned to the home to which bjth his temjter and inclination led him,
witii delight. He wa:5 not, ho\ve\er, long permitted to enjoy the satisfac-
tion it conferred; for the internal afiairs of his native State were in a situa-
tion of so much agitaiion and perplexity, that hlh fellow-citizens insisted
on his rej)resenting them in the Senate of \"irginia. He carried into that
body all the integrity, sound judgment, and love of country for which he
had ever been con^jjicuous, and his labors there were alike honorable to him-
self and useful to the State.
''He did not long remain in this situation. His love of ease, and
fondness for domestic occupations now gained the entire ascendency over
him, and he retired from |)uL'lic life with the firm determination of never
• General Washington to Jnnies Madison, loth January, ijSS. . . . "That the opposition should have
g.iined strenjjth at Richmond, among the members of the .Assembly, is not, if true, to be wondereJ at,
when we consider that the great adversaries to the Constitution are uW assembled at that place, acting con-
jointly, with the promulgated s;n;iraents of C'lon^l Richard Henry Lcc ss auxiliary. It is said, however,
and I believe it may be dc!>';nded upon, that the latter, (though he laay retain his seniiment-,,) has with-
drawn, or means to withdraw, his opposition : because, as he has e.xpr;;-' d himself, or others have done it
for tii:ii, he finds himself in ha.i comp.niy saoh as with M[erce]r, Si::[i jiii, etc., etc His brother, Francis
L. Lee, on whose judgment l!;e family piaie much reliance, is decidedly in f.tvor of the new form, under a
conviction, that it is the best that can be oV'.ained. and because it promises energy, stability, ar.d that
»ecurity, which is, or ought to be, the wi.>h uf every good citizen of the Union.'" — Ford's O-'riiiri^j of Ceurge
i'-'aihitigton, XI, 207-8.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 2x7
again engaging in its busv and wearisome scenes; and to this determina-
tion he strictly adhered. In this retirement, his character was most con-
spicuons. lie always possessed more of the gay, good humor, and pleasing
wit of Atticus, than the sternness of Cato, or the eloquence of Cicero. To
the young, the old, the grave, the gay, he was alike a pleasing and interesting
companion. Xone approached him with diffidence; no one left him but with
regret. To the poor around him, he was a counsellor, physician, and friend ;
10 others, his conversation was at once agreeable and instructive, and his
life a fine example for imitation. Like the great founder of our Republic,
he was much atiaclied to agriculture, and retained from his estate a small
farm for experiment and amusement.
" Having no children, Mr. Lee lived an easy and a quiet life. Reading,
farming, and the com;iany of his friends and relatives, filled up the remain-
ing portion of his davs. A pleurisy, caught in one of the coldest winters
ever felt in Virginia, termip.ated the existence of both his beloved wife and
himself within a few da) 5 of each other. His last moments were those of a
Christian, a good, honest, and virtuous man ; and those who witnessed the
scene were all ready to exclaim, • Let me die the death of the righteous,
and let my last end be like his.' "
Mr. Lee, married, about the 21st of April, 1769, Rebecca, second
daughter of Col. John and Rebecca (Plater) Tayloe, of " Mt. Airy," Rich-
mond county; both he and his wife died within a few days of each other
and without issue, in the winter of 1797, havi[:!g taken cold from exposure
to the severe weather then pre\ailing.
Tayloe. — John Tayloe was descended from William, who came to Vir-
ginia about 1650, and married Anne, daughter of Henry Corbin, whose sister
had married Richard Lee, grandfather of F. L. Lee; William Tayloe had a
son, John, who married a Mrs. Elizabeth (G\v)nn) Lyde, and left three chil-
dren : John, Betty, and Anne Corbin. This John Tayloe, of Mt. Aiiy, married
Rebecca, daughter of Cov. George Plater of Maryland, and had, it is said,
twelve children ; oi these one son and eight daughters survived him. The
eight daughters, above mentioned, all married into prominent families:
I, Elizabeth married Gov. Edward Lloyd, of Maryland, in 1767. 2, Re-
becca, Francis Lightfoot Lee, as above stated. 3, Eleanor, Ralph Worme-
ley, of Middlesex, in 1772. 4, Anne Corbin, Tliomas Lomax. of Caroline,
''^ ^773- 5' M'iry, Mann Page, of Spottsylvania, in 1776. 6, Catharine,
Landon Carter, of Richmond county, in 17S0. 7. Jane, Robert Beverley,
of Essex, in i7()i. S, Sarali. Col. William Augustine Washington, of AVest-
moreland, in 1799. John, son of John and Rebecca (Plater) Tayloe, and
brother to these eight daughters, was born in 17 71, and married, in 1792,
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iiS LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Annie, ilau^'bier of Gov. IVniainin Ogle/ of Maryland, and died in Wash-
ingto:"! ciiy, in 1S2S, ha\-ini,' had, it is said, fifteen children ; amongst
whom was a son, also named John, and fourth of the name, who entered
the navy and was distinguished in the battles of the old frigate " Constitu-
tion," ag;dnst the " Guerriere." and with the •' Cyaaeand Levant." After
the first action, the State of Virginia presented him with a sword. ((?/i/
Churches, Families^ etc., II, iSi.)
His will was dated the 30th of Decembei, i 795. and probated in Rich-
mond county the 6th of February, 1797. It was written by himself, and
reads :
In the name of God, Amen. I Francia Lightfoot Ltt of the County of Richmond in
\'irgini.i being in pretty good health and of sound menioiy do make and Constitute this my
bat \\ ill and Testament Vizt.
Firit I give to ray beloved wife Rebecca Lee, forever, a mulatto woman named Cate,
v.ho is at present n.y wife's maid, and all the said Gate's feinale issue. 2dly. I give my
dearest wife all the furniture in the room we lye in, called the Chamber, and also the follow-
ing pieces of silver plate, to wit, a ce.fiee pot, a Chamber Candlestick, two tea Canisters, a
Milk prjt, and :i sugar .lifting jpoon.
3diy. I Lend nr." dearest wife during her life all the furniture not before given, all the
Liquors and f.miily necessaries in the house and ouiccs, all my negroes on the Menckin
Plantation, with tlie uten-iis of Husbandry, all the stocks of every kind on the plantation, all
the Grain a-.id provisions in hand and growing at the time of my death, and the post Chaise
or other carri.ige I raiy ii.^ve .T.nd llorsei aiid also wliatcver family goods and necessaries I
may have ordered from Europe or elsewhere, and not arrived before my death. I mean
hereby a comfortable provision fur my dearest wife during her life. After her death, I give
all the said negroes, furniture and wiiat may remain of the other articles mentioned in this
clause to my nephew Ludwell Lee, second son of my Brother Richard Henry Lee,
forever.
4ih'y. It is n-.Y will and desire that if at any tio^e my dear wife should be of the opinion
th-it it wuald contribute to her ease and Comfort to liave any or all of the negroes at Meno-
kiii Su!d, i:: such case, my Executors shall sell them, on reasonable credit or for ready money
if they see titt, and the money arising from such sale, to be, at her option, laid out in the
purchase of other negroes, for her use during her lifetime or to be put to Interest on good
landed sircuiity, and the interest pa'd to my said wife during her life. The negroes so f*ur-
ch.ised or 'he money at Interest, I give to my nephew Lud.vell Lee forever, after the death
of my wife.
5tii!y. I give my dearest wife Two hundred and fifty pounds a year during her life, and
my will is that t'.ie s.i J T.vo hunirei and fifty pounds be always rated according to the pres-
ent value of Gold and silver Coiiis legally Current, and as it may be more convenient to my
dearest wife, I desire my Executors, if she should desire it, to pay the said £2^0 half yearly,
that is to say, ^1-5 a: the expcration of each six months.
' Ojl-. Saoiu-I Ot'ie, Esq., of Nort...jii»ber!and ccunty. Ep.^!ar.d, had a son, hii eldest, the Hon. Samuel
Os'.e (died the jd of .May, iji--, a:J. s-.' ^^-^ ^•^s tiiree times Prjprietary Governor of Maryland. His son,
the Hon. liciJaminO^'ic, also G jveraur, < i75--iijti, left a Soa, Ucnjamio, who married Anna Maria Cooke,
diii^h'.cr ol SViliiini aiid tlii^bcth (T.',;'imar.i Cooke,
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STRATFORD LIXE, FOURTH GENERATION. 2I9
6tbly. I give to my dearest wife ^^250 to be paid to her as .-,oon after my death as may
be, hidepeudciit of die ;!^250 yearly before Given to her.
"thly. I direct that the taxes on the land and negroes at Menokin, for which my wife
may be liable during her widouliood, shall be paid out of the Estate hereafter given to my
nephew Ludwell Lee, and that two able well broke young horses may be furnished for Ler
u.ie during her life, occaiionaHy as she may call for them, at the expense of my estate given
to Ludwell Leo. It is aUo my will and desire that in case my dear wife should chuse to
remove from Menokin that then all the furniture, necessaries and provisions that she shall
not reserve for her use shall be sold with her consent and the principal and interest issuing
from such sale shall be applied in the same manner as is directed in the 4th clause of this
will with respect to the Principal and Interest arising from the sale of the negroes.
-thly. The provision herein made for and the bequests herein given to my dear wife I
mean and declare to be in lieu of dower, but if she should prefer her dower, in that case, I
do revoke them all and declare them void, Except her maid Gate, the furniture in the Cham-
ber and the Six pieces of silver plate. Sihly. I give to my nephew Thomas Lee of Loudoun
all my lots iu the town of Matildaville to hitn and his hen-s forever, gtbly. 1 give to my
nephew George Lee my Tract of Land near Colchester in Fairfax to him and his heirs for-
ever, lothly. I give my Gold enameled snuff 13ox and the picture set with diamonds
belonging to it, which was given to me by my ever lamented brother Arthur Lee, to my
nephew Francis Ligbtfoot Lee. iithly. I give to my much esteemed friend Doctor William
Shippen, Jr., of Philadelphia, fifty guineas to be laid out in a piece or pieces of Silver plate,
as he may chuse, as a sniall testimony of my gratefull sen^e of the many Civilities shown to
me and Mrs. Lee when in Philadelphia.
12. I give to my nephew Thomas Lee Shippen of Pennsylvania a ring of two guineas
value. 13. I give and bequeath all the rest of my E:,tate real and personal and of whatever
kind soever to my nephew Ludwell Lee, to him and his heir= forever. And I do hereby
make Constitute and appoint him the said Ludwell Lee my heir and residucry legatee.
And it is my meaning and intent that all the monies and annuities given my wife and
my Debts be paid out of the Estate which I have given to my nephew Ludwell Lee. 14. It
is my desire that in case my dearest wife shall accept the provision herein made for her that
then there be no Appraisement made nor Inventory taken of the furniture, family necessaries
&c. lent her herein, but that she may at any time convenient to herself deliver a list of them
to my Nephew Ludwell Lee. Lastly, I do Constitute and appoint my much beloved wife
Rebecca Lee, my nephews Ludwell Lee, Thomas Ludwell Lee of Loudoun and George
Lee, Executors of this my will, all written with my own hand and each page signed with
my name and this last page with my Scale affixed to it. On the 30th day of December in
the year of our Lord, 1795.
As SO few of Francis Lightfoot Lee's letters have been preserved, these
given here will be of interest. They throw some additional light upon the
interesting period of the Revolution; very few of them have ever appeared
in print.
To Col. Landon Carter, Sabine Hall, Richmond county:
"Philadelphia, 21st October, 1775. My Dear Colonel: I received
your Letter with great pleasure, tho' contrary to your expectation it paid
postage to the hated Post Office j the Continental post now goes regularly.
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220 LEE OK VIRGINIA.
SO we may with a safe; conscience say how d'ye to each other. It gives me
concern to hear that you are ^^•ith drawing from public business; upon my
word, this is not a time for men of abilities with good intentions to be only
sijcctators ; if we can't do all the good we could wish, let us at least en-
deavour to prevent all the mischief in our ])ower. Your good friend Lord
Dunmore is endeavouring to raise all the powers on earth to demolish poor
Virginia. AVe have advice that at his earnest solicitation a fleet may be ex-
pected this fall to ravage our defenceless plantations and burn our little
Towns ; and we have lately discovered a plot of his and Connolly's, which
is to be executed in the following manner; Connolly despairing of getting
up the country through Virginia, or the Carolinas, is to go to St. Augustine
from thence to the Creeks and Cherokees, and through all the tribes to
Detroit ; by Gen. Gage's commission he is to have the Garrison and Can-
iion of that place and the assistance of the French of that settlement, with
all those he is to form an army in the spring and march to Pittsburgh, from
tlience to .\lexandria, proclaiming freedom to all servants who will enlist ;
there he is to be joined by Dunmore with the fleet, and troops from England
and to march thruugh the Country. Pie has Captain's commissions from
Dunmore for Cornstall: and \Vhite Eyes.
" We have given the earliest intelligence of these schemes to our Com-
miitee of Safety, and hoj^e with their endeavours, assisted by the Carolinas
and Georgia, that Connolly may be intercepted this fall or winter. Our
military operations tliis campaign have been very languid, from the want
of powder; but we still hope our success in Canada will be such as to cut
a figure tor our fust essay. Such measures have been taken as give us good
reason to expect a plentiful supply of that necessary article before the next
spring, and then we shall be in readiness to receive the very warm attack,
which from all our advices, the Minisir\- arc prei)aring for us. But lest we
should fail in being supplied from abroad, every man should assert himself
in making saltpetre; your several plantations would furnish a good deal,
and \ou know the i)rocess is easy. With plenty of powder, the victory is
surely ours.
" 22nd October. Here I was interrupted yesterday evening by an ex-
press for Dr. Shippen to see our worthy Speaker;' he went out to dine with
Wm. Hill and while at dinner, was suddenly seized with a dead palsy, and
this morning, we are informed that he died last night. You know his vir-
tues and will lament the loss of the friend and Patriot. I am so concerned
that I can't think of politicks.
1 Peyton Randolph.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 22 1
" My best respects to my good friend Mr. Carter; I ha\egot a man to
work at his wool cards, and we are in possession of Miss Betsey's musick,
which shall be sent by the first opportunity. Mrs. Lee joins me in every
good wish to Tvfrs. Carter and Miss l.ucy. We have no doubt of Miss Lucy's
happiness in the married state, as so much depends on herself, and knowing
the worth of Mr. Colston. Remember me to all friends, when I shall see
them, God knows. Believe me, my dear Colonel, Your sincerely affec't
friend and respectfull Ser>-ant."
To ^Vill!am Lee at London.
" Dear Brother, I wrote to you by the Anne, Capt Sinclair, who sail'd
the 9th of this month inclosing bills of Lxchange and other papers, and
directed it to the care of Mr. Molleson, as you had forgot to mention where
your Letters shou'd be'directed, but I have heard since that the Capt. is a
very worthless fellow, therefore it may be necessary you shou'd make some
inquiry after him; he is in a ship of Glasford's consigned to Rob't
Bogle & Scott, this comes by Capt Walker he I suppose will sail in 3 or 4
weeks, but I am oblig'd to write this early because I set off to day for Lou-
doun to the election, which v.ill be in S or 10 days. The people are so vex't
at the little attendance I ha\ e given them that they are determined it seems
to dismiss me from their service, a resolution most pleasing to me, for it is
so very inconvenient to nie that nothing shou'd induce me to take a poll, but
a repeated promise to my friends there, enforced by those here who con-
sider me as a staunch friend to Liberty ; for the ruin of which our Governor
seems to be taking some very subtle measures, supported by the Att'y Gen'l
who is pushing hard for the Govr's tavor, and to succeed the honest worthy
Ned Ambler, who is dead, as a representative for James Towne. What a
change! Lord Botetourt, in the opinion of everybody is a polite, very
agreeable man, and it is probable from his universal character that we shou'd
be very happy in a Governor, if it was not for our unhappy dispute with G.
Britain, in which he must no doubt think and act with the ministry. In-
deed he honestly says so and from what little he speaks about it, it appears the
Ministry are determined to enforce. We have not heard any thing from
Boston since I wrote last, the post did not bring in the last Northward
papers, wliy we do not know. The Pennsylvania Assembly has adjourned
to the Spring without taking the least notice of the damn'd acts. Oh, I
forget, by some private acct's from Boston, they are enveigling the soldiers,
who desert in crouds dayly ; our Assembly will meet in the spring when I
hope you will have something worthy Virg'a.
" I was miserably disajipointed in my expectations from \\'illiamsburgh,
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222 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
altogether owing to my having employ'd the Esquire and which I did con-
trary to my own opinion of things in general, but because I knew you
usuallv ein]:)loy'd him in such affairs ; now you must not expect anv re-
mittances till after the Oyer Court, and then by the first ship you cannot
fail. You have enclosed Plector Ross's second Exchange for ^^40 to purchase
for me things necessary tor our fulling mill, such as screw, or Press, Paste
boards, sh.ears and dyes, the quantities and kinds of which I leave to you and
if you can recollect any other thing necessary, send it, you have also Arm-
stead's and Claiborne's seconds, the first of which were sent in my last, they
are for the Misses quota's of B. Moore, and Armstead, I am informed we
can get good Jamaica spirit cheaper from London than the W. Indies, for
the duty is drawn back there and none paid here, do inquire about it and
let us knov.-, my love to the Doct'r, I shall certainly write to him soon, no
offer for liis chair and Horses yet and Col. Phil, says Griffin will not take
the things at William'bg. Harry, you'll repent having desired rne to write
often. Adieu."
To Robert Wormelcy Carter, Esquire, at the Convention, Richmond,
Virginia:
"November, 1775. Dear Sir: We have had nothing new since the
reduction of Montreal, v.hich I suppose you must have heard of. It is sup-
posed Arnold must be in possession of Quebec by this time if he shou'd be
too weak to affect it Montgomerie will join him fromivlcntreal. .\t all events
we have got the most valuable part of Canada, as it cuts off all communica-
tion with the Indians and prevents inroads on our frontier. It wou'd give
me infinite pleasure, if our affairs to the Southward wore as tavorable an
aspect, it will require very vigorous efforts to put a stop to the proceedings of
Lord ]3)unmore. We arc extreamly alarmed bv an express from the Com'tee
of Northampton County to Congress informing that he has issued a Proclama-
tion, declaring military law in Virg'aand offering freedom to all servants and
slaves who shall repair to th,e King's standard which he has erected ; that
the inhabitants of Norfolk and Princess Ann Counties have taken an oath to
oppose to the last drop of their blood any of their countrymen who shall
come in arms into their Counties. The Com'tee asks for assistance, being
apprehensive that their peojile from their ex[K^sed situation and the number
of their slaves will thro' tear be .induced to follow the example of the other
Counties. \\'e have got the Proclamation. I have been fearfull lest the
letters from Northarnptun to our Com'tee of safety, shou'd be intercepted,
which they were apprehensive of. This intelligence gives great concern to
all the friends of America and subjects your countrymen to the sneers of iis
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STRATf-ORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION'. 223
disguised Enemys and the lukewarm. Fatal consequences may follow if an
immediate stop is not put to that Devil's career. I shou'd think a sufficient
force of Militia or Minute men. shou'd immediately be sent, to drive him and
his adherents on board the ships; the estates of the inhabitants of Norfolk.
or elsewhere, who have' taken arms, ag'st the Country shou'd be sequesterd
for its defence. The proclamation burnt by the hangnian, heavy penalties
inflicted on those who disi^erse them thrcj' the Country ; the palroles shou'd be
very diligent ; will it not be necessary for the convention by a short ordin-
ance to establish the j)resent I.au s and judges ? It would contribute more than
anything to the quiet and safety of the people, and securit}of our commerce
in the spring; if the Convention wou'd exert themselves in fitting out small
armed vessells. to prevent small tenders from infesting the bay and rivers, it
it cannot be done in ^'irg'a they might be procured here, probably Virg'a
might spare powder for this purpose, but without very bad fortune we shall
soon have it in. It is inconceivable what good effects have been produced
from such a measure to the Northward, not a tender dares to come from
under the guns of the large ships, and the vessells employed by the Army in
l!osion to procure wood and provisions are every day falling into our hands,
there are small guns in several parts of Virg'a ; a {(^w at Hobbs' hole and
Col. Fauntleroys. The furnaces shou'd be set to casting them, God prosper
your deliberations."
To Landon Carter of Sabine Hall. Richmond County, Virginia.
"Philadelphia, Nov. 20, 1775. My dear Colonel: I wrote to Col.
Taylor two or three days agoe, from whome I suppose you have had the
news, and intended by Mr. Colston to answer your last letter; but an
express froin the camp last night having bro't fresh intelligence I take
the advantage of to morrow's post to communicate it to you. The trans-
ports from Ireland with five Regimicnts, compleat, have arrived at
Boston ; a fishing boat with 6 muskets took a schooner belonging to the
fleet, loaded with provisions for the Ofiicers, in her v/ere many letters by
which we learn that the Roman catholic Lords Bishops and Gentry are ex-
tremely active in procuring recruits. The Protestants very averse to the
business, many recruiting parties driven out of their towns, and even the
lower class of catholics, show great dislike to it, but witli the high premiums
given by the Popish towns »l\:c many recruits are raised, and it is expected
as many will be raised as will compleat the number intended for the next
campaign, which they say is 22,000. 5,000 Hanoverians are to garrison
Gibraltar and Portmahon, the British regiments there to go to England and
Ireland. I will not anticipate your reflection upon the infamous proceed-
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224 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
ings of the Ministry, but I think he must be blind indeed who does not see
the design of establishing arbitrary Government in America, and be un-
worthy the name of man who does not oppose it at all hazard. The estab-
lishment of Po[)ery will no doubt be the reward of the exertions of the
Roman Catholics. We do not think the whole of these raw Irish will make
a dinner for our troops, our only fear is the want of ammunition ; but we
hope to be relieved from that before next spring, our cutters have taken
two more of their caitering vessels, one loaded with wood, the other with
provisions. 6,000 of the Enemy made a sally out of Boston to carry off
some cattle but a (cw of our men quickly repulsed them, with the loss of
two of their men. We have heard of Arnold's being in Canada and rec'd
with open arms by the inhabitants, so we expect that Quebec, and of course
the whole province is ours by this time, so much for news. I am glad to
find that amidst all the breeches, button making in Virg'a and in spite of
the Cholic you keep up youi spirits and therefore hope you have defeated
all the party schemes in Richmond. Lord Dun more seems to be a little
quiet since the taste of Virg'a prowess at Hampton, we expect that Col.
Woodford will keep him to his good behaviour at Xort'olk. Pray remember
me to all my friends, present my best respect to my friend, Mr. Carter and
his lady and believe me always y'r aff't h'b'l serv't."
To THE SAME.
''Philadelphia, Dec. 12th 1775. Dear Colonel: Before you receive
this, Mr. Colston will have given you all the news of this place when he
left it; since which one of our little men of war, called the Lee, Cap't
Manly, has taken a storeship, loaded with 2,000 stand of arms, a great deal
of artillery, 30 tons of shot, a cjuantity of shells and shot tor the bombs
and Cannon; and a very great quantity of all kinds of artillery stores ; to
the amount of 20,000^ Str., as 'tis tho't.
" We make no doubt but Quebec and Carlton with his powder are in
our possession by this time. If we are supply'd with powder from that or
any other quarter this winter, we shall certainly make Boston too hot for
Howe, as the ministry has kindly supplied us plentifully with artillery ; these
successes to the Northward, and the former reputation of Virg'a, make the
present proceedings with you apj^ear in a very odd light. The real friends of
liberty are under great concern, and your delegates are mortified with the
sneers and rellections of the lukewarm, but that is trifling to the uneasiness
we suffer, t'rom the apprehension of the consequences, that may follow, from
L'd Dunmore's being allowed to get to such a head.
" It does not appear to n-.c, that Woodford is sufficient to effect an\ -
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STR.\TfORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 225
thing decisive. In my opinion, our safety depends upon an immediate and
effectual stop being given to that infernal Demon, and his Tory associates
at Norfolk. The Congress are giving the greatest attention to a Navy and
I hope we shall have ships enough by the spring to oblige the ministerial
fleet to consult their safety by keeping close together, and of course will not
be able to do us much injury. I am surprised at not receiving Letters from
my friends in Richmond by the Cont'l post. The Postmaster assures me there
is a post established from Fredericksburg to Portroyal, Hobbs' hole, and
Urbanna; the County Com'tees were to direct where the offices shou'd be
kept. I wish it was enquired into and the obstruction mentioned ; that
they may be removed, if in the Postmaster's power. I hope the County
chose a Com' tee to your liking and that everything is quiet. Is it not
necessary that the convention shou'd establish some kind of Government as
Lord D. b}' his proclamation, has utterly demolished the whole civil Govern-
ment? I believe the Congress will adjourn before Christmas, but whether
long enough to allow me to see Virg'a. is uncertain. In the meantime my
best wishes attend my fiiends in Richmond."
To THE SAME.
"Philadelphia, March 19, 1776. My Dear Col. : Before this I suppose
you have rec'd a copy of Coiuinon Sense, which I sent you sometime ago ;
if not, I now send a parcel to Col. Tayloe, of whome you may have one.
" Our late King and his Parliament having declared us Rebels and Ene-
mies, confiscated our property, as far as were likely to lay hands on it ; have
effectually decided the question for us, whether or no we sh'd be independ-
ent. All we have to do now is to endeavour to reconcile ourselves to the
state it has pleased Providence to put us into ; and indeed upon taking a
near and full look at the thing, it does not frighten so much, as when viewed
at a distance. I can't think we shall be injured by having free trade to all
the world, instead of its being confined to one place, whose riches might
ailways be used to our ruin; nor does it appear to me that we shall suffer
any disadvantage by having our Legislatures uncontrolled by a power so far
removed from us, that our circumstances can't be known ; whose interest is
often directly contrary to ours, and over which we have no manner of con-
trol. Indeed great part of that power being at present lodged in the hands
ot a most gracious Prince, whose tender mercies we have often expe-
rienced ; it must wring the heart of all good men to j)art ; but I suppose we
shall have Christian fortitude enough to bear with patience and even cheer-
fullness the decrees of a really most gracious King. The danger of an-
archy and confusion, I think altogether chimerical; the good behaviour of
15
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226 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
the Americans with no government at all, proves them very capable of good
Go\ernment. I'm ray dear Col. 1 arn so fond of peace that I wish to see
an end of these distractions upon any terms that will secure America from
fnt!;re outrages; but from all our intelligence I really despair. There is
such an inveteracy ia the and his advisers that we need not expect
any other alternative than slavery or separation, is it not prudent therefore
to fit our minds to the state that is inevitable. Virginia, it seems, is con-
sidered at home as most liable to deception and seduction ; and therefore
the Commissioners are to bend their chief force that way, backed by a
considerable detachment of the Army. I hope it will turn to the honor of
my Country, as it will afford an opportunity of showing their virtue and
good sense. Col. Tayloe has the news. I wrote yesterday to my friend
Col. R. Carter by the post, letting him know that Gen'l Lee, who has the
Southern command, was furnished with the two aides-de-camp paid by Con-
grcis, before my application, but agreed to take your Grandson as a super-
numerary aid, he bearing his ov,n expenses. If this is agreeable you will
perhaps see the Gen'l as he had some thoughts of passing through Rich-
mon.d. Best respects to Sabine Hall."
To THE SAAIE.
''Philadelphia, Sep. 15, 1776. My Dear Col: I acknowledge myself
greatly indebted to your goodness for which, tho' I despair of ever making
full returns ; yet I shall endeavor to show my gratitude by such partial pay-
ments, as my time and abilities will admit of.
" I cannot think the apprehensions of our Council, without foundation,
for whether the Enemy is successfull or not at N. York, there is reason to
believe, they will make some attempts upon some of the southern states,
and we know thrt our people upon the least removal of danger, are too apt to
relapse into supineness and inattention. We find from experience that
regulars only can effectually be opposed to the British troops; therefore we
are collecting our regular bataliions to resist the efforts of the Enemy at X.
York, and if any sudden attack should be made upon any state we must
depend upon the Militia to impede their progress, untill they can be op-
posed by some regular troops.
" The Militia is not only ineffectual, but beyond measure expensive, such
a number of regulars will .therefore be raised for the next campaign, that
we shall not have recourse to the Militia, but upon extraordinary occasions;
six new Regiments wi!l be raised in Virginia.
" You have no doubt before this, been informed that our General upon
finding Long Island not tenable, have quitted it, after a smart engagement
.' .-'K': ■.:<■'■■, ',,„
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 227
between a party of between 2 and 3000 of our men, and the greater part
of the Enemy's Army, in which tho' we were out-generaled yet the troops
behaved so exceedingly well, that Howe has been very cautious in all his
movements since ; all of which indicates his intentions of getting upon the
back of our Army and with their shipping on the front and each side cut
off all communication with the country, in which case we must either fight
to a disadvantage or surrender for want of provisions. Our gen'l is taking
measures to prevent this; for which purpose the City of N. York must be
evacuated ; which is by no means tenable, if the Enemy choose to direct
their efforts ag't it.
"As the Court of G. B. has ever accompanied violence with deception ;
Lord Howe their agent since his arrival has constantly endeavored to make
the people believe that he has great powers, and earnestly wished for peace,
and at length carried the matter so far, as to desire a conference vx-ith some
members of Congress, in their private captacities. The Congress to show
they were not averse to peace, sent a Com'tee of their body to confer with
him, they had the honour of three hours conversation with his L'dship and
returned here last Fryday. He acknowledged he had no power to suspend the
operations of war, or to offer any terms ; but said, he had waited tvvo months
in England to prevail with the Ministry to empower him to converse and
confer with Gen't'n of influence in America, that he was sure of the good
intention of the King and the Ministry, if we would return to our allegiance,
they would revise the late instructions to Gov'rs and the Acts of Parliament,
and if there was anything in them that appear'd unreasonable to them, he
did not doubt but they wou'd make them easy. The whole affair will soon
be published by Congress which I will send to my friend in Richmond and
shall be glad of your remarks.
"All well at Ticonderoga. Every advice from all parts of the French
dominions give us hope of a speedy rupture with G. B. — That event will
make us somewhat easy. My best respects to the Ladies and my friend ]Mr.
Carter."
' '■■:• . ■ ' To THE SAME. ■■ - . ). •
"Philadelphia, Feb. 12, 1776. My Dear Colonel: I intended to
have devoted yesterday to answering your kind letters by last monday's
post, but unexpected business intervened, which prevented me, and this
day I find my obligation increased by the receipt of yours of the ist inst.
I must now content myself with assuring you that I am very sensible of
your friendship, and acquainting you with the occurrences in this part of
the world ; the only return in' my power for your kindness. Gen'l Wash-
ington having intelligence that Gen'l Clinton with a body of troops had
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228 LKE OF VIRGINIA.
sailed from Boston and suspecting their intention was to make a lodgement
in X. York, dispatched Genl. Lee to prevent it. Lee arrived there last
week with iioo men; and on the same day in pops Clinton, who had
been separated from his fleet in a snow storm ; finding Lee there, he and
Tryon assured the town upon their honor that the troops were not destined
for N. York and nothing hostile was intended ag't them. Lee knowing
the cue of the Ministry and all their agents, continued to call in more
forces; this day he sent us an express that one of the transports full of
soldiers was arrived and several others seen at the Hook, however as Lee
had 4000 men, it is imagined Clinton will comply with part of his honor-
able engagement, and attempt nothing at X. Y'ork, but proceed to Virga.,
which place, some Gentlemen (in pretended confidence) were assured, was
the original destination of the fleet, so that perhaps old Bess will not long
remain ck^ar, Clinton's pretended rendezvous is at Hampton road, where
he is to be joined by a fleet from. England with 5 regiments, his present force
is supposed to be 6 or 700 men. I fear your want of arms and good Gen'ls
will make this little Arm)' very formidable to you. V/e have not yet applyd
to Congress for y'r Genr'l Officers, nor do v/e know where they will be got;
those that are good for anything seem to have their hands full to the Xorth
and F^astsvard, whenever they are appointed, you may be assured I v.-ill not
fail to put in a good word for my young friend Landon. Had we not been
deceived in our intelligence respecting the 30 tons of powder, Boston in all
probability would now be in our possession ; but alas for want of that neces-
sary, the favorable season has passed away, without anything being affected
and now the rest must remain probably until next Winter; however we have
now in hand 117 tons of saltpetre, 13 of powder and 300 stand of arms ; the
utmost dispatch is using to manufacture the saltpetre, which will soon enable
us to answer all demands w'ch are now very great from all quarters ; but we
expect in the present scramble for the B'tons to get one or two for Virga.
Our affairs in Canada are in as good a situation as we could expect, since
our unfortunate attempt on Quebec ; we have no doubt of having a sufficient
force there to render good acct's of Carlton before he can be reinforced.
Capt'n Manly, formerly of the Lee, now of the Hancock, is daily taking some
of their supply transports; in return for which two ships loaded by the Con-
gress with flour to procure military stores, have fallen into the Enemy's
hands. I find L'd D. is endeavoring to persuade the settlers on the Rivers to
remain quiet, and not remove their stock and provisions, no doubt till he is
enabled to come and ease them of them all. 'Tis strange that this monster and
the rest of his infernal tribe should expect to be credited by a single person,
after the innumerable instances of cruelty and rapacity and perfidy, fresh in
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 229
every one's mind, which they have exhibited in every part of the world.
The Ministerial scheme against Sayre, Lee and others was this : The work-
men leaving the docks, demanding higher wages, apj^lying to the American
friends to supply them with money to convey them out of the Kingdom;
was all under the direction of L'd Sandwich, in order to bring the Americans
under the penalty for inveigling the King's workmen out of the Kingdom.
It was about to take effect, when one more honest than the rest of his fellows,
disclosed the whole affair to the Alderman. This failing, their next plan is
to make one Richardson, a native of this City, whome they have made an
officer in the Guards, swear away the life of Sayre and it is apprehended of
the others also. Is it possible that any one can expect anything from such
abandoned villains. From them and their hellish plots, good Lord deliver
us ! Our best respects to Sabine Ilall and believe me, dear Colonel, your
aff 't friend and very humble servant."
The following joint letter explains itself; it was written after the vote in
the Virginia Assembly, by which Richard Henry Lee was defeated for Con-
gress, with its implied censure of his conduct.
" To the Lion. George Wythe, Speaker of the LI. of D.'s of Va."
" Sir: \Ve shall be much obliged to you to inform the House of our
warmest desire to have leave to return home immediately and that other
gentlemen may be sent to fill our places. What passed in the House, pre-
vious to the last election of Delegates, is well known. We do not presume
to judge of the proceedings of the House other than as they affect our-
selves; in which case we hope to be excused if Ave are determined by our
own feelings. From what then passed, and our long and intimate acquaint-
ance with Col. Lee, we are sorry to be obliged to think that hoAsever up-
right our conduct may be, we may, while absent and engaged in a very
painful service, in an instant be deprived of what we esteem most valuable,
our reputation. It is impossible we could do our full duty, as we could
wish, while our minds labour under such melancholy impressions. We love
our Country and will cheerfully share its fate, whatever may be the issue of
the present contest ; but we must be content to serve it in a more humble
station, less exposed to envy, hatred and malice."
(Signed)
Mann Page, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee.
Philadelphia, io June, 1777.
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230 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
To Richard Henry Lee.
" Philadelphia, June 30, 1776. Dear Brother: Our affairs in Canada
are at length bro't to a .conclusion, and we have now to contend with all
the had consequences, which have been apprehended froni the Enemy's
being in possession of lliat Country.
" Vou will see by the papers that Gen'l Thomson was sent with 2000
men to dislodge a party of the Enemy at Trois Rivieres, but Gen'l Burgoyne
having arrived wiili a considerable body of troops, our men v/ere obliged
to retreat with the lo.s of 150; leaving the Gen'l and a few others in cap-
tivity. Burgoyne i":rsucd his advantage, and our Generals found it abso-
lutely necessary to retire out of the Country with their sick and dispirited
army. The accounts of Burgoyne's force are from Sooo to 10,000. We
cou'd not nuister above 3000, all the rest being ill with the Small pox.
"Our arni}', being 7000 bro't off all their artillery, stores, baggage and
provisions, having destroyed all the forts and bridges behind them thev are
now at Crown P<-intj where they propose to make a stand against Burgoyne's
army, assisted by Canadians and Indians ; by keeping the mastery of Lake
Champlain, if possible, which is much to be doubted, as he has bro't with
him a great numl^er of vessels ready framed. At New York General Wash-
ington has not 10.000 men, and 50 of Howe's fleet are now at the hook.
None of the militia is \-et come in, and Gen'l Washington is apprehensive
they will not, till it is too late. And there is reason to fear they will never
join the army at Crown Point for fear of the small \)ox, or if they do, that
they v.'ill be rendered useless by it, add to all this, that it is certain great
numbers in the province of N. York will join the Enemy; a horrid plot was
latel}' discovered in the City to deli\'ei"up our army to the Enemy by spiking
the cannon and blowing u\) the Maga/ine and some say to assassinate the
Gen'l. We ha\-e not }'et the ijarticulars, but many are in goal ; they had
del'aM.cljcd two o{ (he Gcn'ls guards, one of whom is executed. Thus you
have a full view of tlie situation of our affairs; from which I dare say you
will agree with me, that v,e are in a most perilous state, from which nothing
but some extraordiiiary event can extricate us. We have advice, that the
crew of one of tlic ships that sailed from this port last winter, loaded by
the Congress, conHned th.e Cap't and carried her into Bristol, and discov-
ered the signals by which all the other ships were to distinguish their friends
from their Enemies i![)on their arrival on this Coast. I have nothing to
ballancc this dismal acc't, but that we have taken about 700 of Frazer's
highbinders; and that depending on the goodness of our cause, we have
not lost our spirits.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. Z'jl
" ist July. This day the resolve for independency was considered and
agreed to in Com' tee of the Whole, two [States] dissented — S. Carolina
and Pennsylvania. X. York did not vote, not being empower'd ; to-
morrow it will pass the house with the concurrence of S. Carolina ; the
Pennsylvania delegates' indulge their own wishes, tho' they acknowledge,
what indeed every body knows, that they vote contrary to the earnest desires
of the people.
"This morning an unanimous vote of the Maryland Convention was
bro't to Congress, empowering their delegates to concur in all points with
Congress. All the colonies have declared their sense, except N. York, ^\hose
new Convention, now chusing is to do the business. AVe expect you will
join us in August, as soon as Government is settled ; indeed it will be
necessary as Col. Braxton talks of going away in 3 weeks, and I suppose
Col. Harrison will go early in August, which will leave us a bare representa-
tion. 3 or 4 months will in a great measure decide the fate of America —
Tho' I think, if our people keep up their spirits and are determined to be
free, whatever advantage the Enemy may gain over us this summer and
fall, we shall be able to deprive them of in the winter, and put it out of
their power ever to injure us again. I confess I am uneasy, lest any con-
siderable losses on our side, shou'd occasion such a panick in the Country,
as to induce a submission.
"The evil is coming, which I always dreaded, at the time when all our
attention, every effort shou'd be to oppose the Enemy, we are disputing
about Government and independence."
To Dr. Walter Jones, Richmond county, Va.
" Baltimore Febr'y 3d 1777. My dear friend: I this evening rec'd
your Let'r by Mr. Sebastian, who I understand intends to leave this to-mor-
row morning, tho' it is without date, yet by the contents I find it was wrote
before you had heard of the change of our affairs : which I hope will some-
thing forward the recruiting business. I agree with you that bad management
has had a greater share in our bad success than fortune ; but is it to be won-
dered at, plunged at once into an immense system, without anybody possessed
of the knowledge requisite for the proper conducting the different depart-
ments, which other nations have acquired by the experience of ages ; con-
tinually pressed by a powerfull Enemy, so that the present emergency neces-
sarily engrossed all our attention ; every necessary for a large .-Vrmy imme-
diately to be procured in a Country which had depended for almost every-
thing on foreigners. A number of internal enemies exerting all their faculties
to frustrate our endeavours. All things considered, the wonder, I think, is
'■rV] TlJ..' i
• ,-n\ 7'jJUV.'' -■;' : oT
. '■•
232 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
that we have succeeded so well. Yet if to these difficulties, short enlistments
had not been added, I ihink we should have finislied the war this campaign;
how that happen'd, I have before informed you. We are now much better
provided with necessaries than we were this time twelve months, and expect
additional supplies, tho' many will fall into the hands of the Enemy, who
are well informed, and are now keeping a sharp lookout. I hope the
frigates in our bay will not throw Virginia into a panic. This day we
rec'd a copy of the Tyrant's sijeech to his venal Parliament ; he at length
ackno'.vledges that he has an arduous task on harjd, and demands large sup-
plies ; says, he is assured of the amicable disposition of all the powers of
Europe, but whicli seems to give him the lie, urges them to put tlie King-
dom into a i)osture of defence : jiities us for preferring the tyranny of fac-
tious leaders to wholesome laws and liberty. You will soon see the curious
piece in the papers. Nothing has happen'd of consequence, since the date
of tlie inclosed : frerpient skirmishes, which for the most part are much in our
favor, indeed it is pretty certain the Enemy's Ariiiy is mouldering fast with
sickness, desertion and captures, which will ])revent their attempting any-
thing of consequence, till reinforced; if Gen'l W. can keep enough of the
\ Militia together till part of the new Army is raised.
" Our Gen'l thro' the whole campaign, has shown himself vastly superior
in abilities to the Enemy; and I am convinced if he now had 8,000 regu-
lars, Howe wou'd soon have reason to \vish hiniself at Halifax. Such of
your medicines as cou'd be got here I send by Mr. Crump, I hope you
have rec'd them long e'er this : I need not tell you how happy it wou'd
make nie to see you here. Morgan is displaced and Shippen is in his room,
the sick in a much better way."
"7*6' /:is ExcfUcncy President V/harton, Preside /:f of /he E. Supreme Coinicil
of Penna., Lcuieasfer.'"
" War Oflace, Dec. 30, 1777. Sir: Congress have received such un-
expected and distressing accounts from the General relative to the situation
of the Army, that they have appointed a committee to fall upon immediate
methods for supplying them with provisions. I'hey are so much in want
of an instant supply owing to delay and Embarrassments in the Commis-
sary's Department and other unexpected causes that however plenty we shall
have them in future, at present at least a Removal out of this State must be
the immediate Consequence of even a short Continuance of their present Cir-
cumstances.
"An instant supply must be procured from this State for the support of
the Army until :;he Supplies expected from the neighboring States arrive, as
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 233
it may give Umliracre to the Inhabitants the Committee deplore the necessity
they are under of sending Officers with Parties to collect such Cattle, Flour
and Grain as the Army wants, without the least delay, as the crisis is too
alarming to admit of the business being postponed on any consideration.
" It will be improper to communicate the real Situation of the Army but
with the utmost Prudence and caution. Your Excellency will therefore
judge in what manner the Concurrence of this State is to be procured as
their vignrous Exertions are necessary in Cooperation with those of the
Committee, who will, at least, till they see the Business properly conducted
as doubtless it will be by the Government of this State, be obliged to give
Orders for the Taking, conveying and driving all Cattle, Hogs, Pork, Flour
and Grain fit for their consumption to the Army, the Persons employed for
this Purpose giving Certificates to the Owners expressing as nearly as pos-
sible the Weight and Q.iality of them and agreeing to pay for them at such
Prices as shall be settled by the Convention of Committees from the several
States who are to meet at New Haven the 15th of Jan. next agreeable to a
Resolution of Congress of the 2 2d Nov. last.
I have the honor to be v,-ith great Respect
Your very obedient Servant
Francis Lightfoot Lee
for the Committee."
"The Committee requests you will be pleased to inform them whether
the Proclamation ordering the Inhabitants of York and Cumberland Coun-
ties to thresh out their Grain has been issued."
"Richmond, 13 Nov., 17S0. My Dearest Love : I, this moment, had
the pleasure o^" your letter by Jupiter. You are wrong indeed my Love, to
confine yourself so much at home. I beg you will endeavour to amuse your-
self, so much anxiety and gloomishness is enough to give you headache,
which for my sake pray avoid ; for nothing can compensate to me, for your
want of health. Sutton's behaviour vexes uie much ; I cannot conceive^what
the fellow can mean. I now write to Iiim. The small quantity of peas
really surprises me, there were several bushels in the field when I left home ;
they have certainly let the fowls and other things eat them up. As Garland
cannot supply oil for the leather, tallow, with a very little butter, w ill answer
the purpose ; please to weigh what you furnish that I may know whether
It is properly used. Your sui)ply of cash, gave me pleasure, as it was one
more instance, added to thousands, of your affection ; but upon the whole
I could not help being a little angry at your having disfurnished yourself;
small as it was it might have been of some little use to you, here it is as a
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234 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
drop in the ocean. Indeed, my dear, you must not suppose that I can
have any enjo\n:ent in which you liave not a share.
"Mr. Joe Jones, R. H. L. and myself are in pretty good lodgings,
Mr. Page left us a few days agoe, having received advice that his father,
who had got homej was in a very dangerous way. I suppose he will not
return. I am now well, the cold in my head being nearly gone. There is
no prospect of tlie Assembly rising till Christmas, but you may be assured
I will get off as soon as possible. I cannot say at present when that may
be, for we have not yet a senate ; but I hope we shall soon have some mem-
bers to spare. As soon as I see a prospect I will inform you of it. In the
meantime, let me again in treat you to fall upon some method of deverting
yourself, either by going abroad or inviting others to join you at Menokin,
or both.
" We have nothing new since my last ; by the motion of the Enemy
below, it looks as if they meant to winter there; in which case, they will
give us a good deal of trouble ; but at the same time, they give us an open-
ing for a good .stroke in our favour, if the French force should come upon
our coast, which is not improbable. Love to Miss Sally and other friends,
I am dearest Becky }our ever affectionate," etc.
P. S. — '•' The milch cows will have the fresh gathered corn-fields to run
in, where I exj^ect they will have plenty of good food ; therefore it will be
better not to stall them yet, as we have a long winter to go thro."
"Menokin, 30 April, 1795. My Dear Brother [William]: I can
readily conceive, and it is with very great concern, the distressed situation
you must be in ; and it gives me pain when I reflect how little it is in my
power to assist you. Mrs. Lee and myself are little fitted for the fatigues
of travelling ; she, thank God ! seems recovering from her long ill state
of health; but I have no reason to expect otherways than a regular decline
of the small portion of bodily powers that I at present possess; for the last
twelve months, I feel the decline very sensibly. ^Vere we ourselves in a
proper situation we have at present no conveniency for travelling.
"I can't but siill flatter m)-5elf that the good weather of May will
enable you to bear easy travelling, which would probably contribute much
to restore you to a tolerable btate of health. As to worldly matters, I think
you should make your mind easy on that score; you will at all events leave
a sufficiency to your children, to make them hajip}-, unless they are much
wanting to themselves; iii which case millions would be insufficient.
" It gives me conifort that there is a prosjicct of procuring you a house-
keeper, who will remove many of your domestic inconveniences. Mr.
U'~:; \ 'V;' I
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STRATFOUD LINK, FOURTH GENERATION. 235
Aylett Lee is seriously very confident that he can procure one against whom
there is no ohjcction ; but tliat she is high spirited and keeps very strict
hand upon the servants ; the excess of which may, I think, with a little
prudence be qualified: tho' a Scotch woman, he says, from particular
acquainlaiice, he knows her to be very cleanly. He has just left us for the
district court at Fredericksburg, where he is to make the necessary inquiries,
settle matters and write you by post.
"I am so very little in the world and find it so impossible to get any-
body to do any business for me, that I am obliged to have recourse to Mr.
Wilson for a bill for Mr. Thorp; but I have reason to hope it will not fail
a second time. The world seems crazy, and we old people must scuffle
with it, as well as we can, for our few days of existence. With the warmest
wishes that you may recover a better state of health, I am, my dear Brother,
yours most affectionately."
P. S. — '• 1 thank you for leaving settled the duties on ray goods at Nor-
folk, and intended to have sent you the ^^ly los. gd. by Mr. Greenlaw, but
he has sent for our letters, it not being convenient to call himself"
William Lee.
20. ^\"ILLIAM^ the seventh son of Thomas Lee ^ (Richard ^ Richard^),
and Har.nali Ludwell, his wife, was born at Stratford on the 31st of August,
1739 ; his daughter Cornelia has recorded his death in these words : "Green-
spring, Virginia. Saturday 27 June, 1795, at 20 minutes after six in the
afternoon, my dearest Father was taken from this turbulent and mortal
state, after a lingering Illness of ten months, a;t. 55 years 9 months and
27 days. On the 28th June at 6 o'clock the precious remains were
interred in James Town Church Yard at the south end of the graves of my
Great Grc'mdfath.er and Grandmother Ludwell."
While residing at London, Mr. Lee had married his cousin, Hannah
Philippa, daughter of Philip Ludwell and Frances Grymes, his wife; she
was born at " Greenspring," the 21st of December, 1737; and died as
stated by her daughter, Cornelia, on "the iSth of August, 1784, My dear
Mother Hannah Philippa Lee resigned her pure unspotted Soul into the
hands of her Merciful Creator at the house of Mr. Edward Brown in Ostend,
in Austrian Flanders, xt. 46 years 8 months, where she had gone on her
way from Ostend to England. Her remains were deposited in the family
Vault of the Ludwells in l^ow Church Yard near London. She was the
eldest daughter and co -heiress of the Hon'ble Philip Ludwell, Esq.. of
Greenspring, Virg'a, and was married on Tuesday the 7th of March, 1769,
to William Lee, fourth son of the Hon'ble Thomas Lee of Stratford
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236 LEE OF VIRGINIA. *
Virginia, in St. Clements Dane Church in the City of Westminster,
G. B."
The Greenspring mansion, once famous in the history of early Virginia,
was built by Sir \\'illiam Berkeley; probably just previous to his marriage
with the beautiful widow, Mrs. Stephens. Greenspring was situated about
five miles from Jamestown, and about two from the James Pviver. During
Berkeley's life, Greenspring was practically the seat of the government,
and his party were kno^vn as the "Greenspring faction." After his death,
his widow married Philip Ludwell, a widower, who lived near-by, and again
the mansion became the centre of political manceuvering. Mrs. Ludwell
always called herself " Lady Berkeley;" she left this estate to her husband,
and he, in turn, to his son. So it descended until it came into the posses-
sion of the two daughters of the third Philip Ludwell ; one of whom mar-
ried ^\^illiam Lee, as stated ; the other married John Paradise, of London,
and lived there. (For further notice of the Ludv/ell family see under sketch
of Thomas Lee, number 5.)
Of the early life and education of William Lee nothing is known ; pre-
sumably he was educated at home, as was his brother, Francis Lightfoot Lee.
He first appeared on record as one of the signers, in February, 1766, of
the famous resolutions of the patriots of the Northern Neck. Very shortly
after this, he must have gone to settle in London as a Virginian Mer-
chant; his brother Arthur accompanied him to study law at the Temple.
The two brothers appear to have soon become interested in the political
questions of the hour, which were of the most exciting nature ; to the general
questions of political character, were, there, added those of a local nature,
and the two combined kept the London merchants greatly excited. For an
American, the mercantile business appears to have been simply the selling
of tobacco and buying manufactured goods to send out in return for the
tobacco; in the royal exchange there was "the Virginia Walk," where
merchants, interested in Colonial trading, chiefly conducted their business.
William Lee seems to have divided his time between mercantile and political
pursuits; tor he had not been long in London before he was engaged very
actively in its local politics. His numerous letters, home, were about
equally divided between politics and business, and it is probable that these
letters kept .-Vmericans well intormed as to the trend of opinion in England.
Frum the earliest date, he warned them they could not expect any redress
from the British ministry ; that their only alternatives were surrender or
war.
"In May, 1775, the alderman of .\ldgate ward, John Shakespeare,
died, and a ward-mote was held at Iron-mongers' Hall to elect a successor.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. tJJ
. . . Mr. Lee was elected, and made a ' spirited s{)eech ' to the electors,
summarized by the Loui/on C/ironir/i' as follows: — 'He assured them, that
though he was elected for life, he should ahvays think himself accountable
to them for the discharge of the trust reposed in him. That as a public
magistrate, he should attend the dispensation of justice with care and
assiduity ; and as their particular magistrate, he should endeavor to promote
and maintain harmonv, peace, and good order in the ward. He said that
as to his public principles, he held the free constitution of this country
sacred and inestimable, which, as the source and security of all our happi-
ness, it was the duty of every honest man to defend from violation ; that
therefore it should ever be his care, by every exertion and at every hazard,
to resist the arbitrary encroachments of the Crown and its Ministers, upon
the rights of the citizens, and the liberties of the people.'
" ^As an American, he declared it was his wish that the union between
Great Britain and the colonies might be re-established, and remain forever,
but that constitutional liberty must be the sacred bond of that union. He
considered the attempts of the present administration against Ainerican
liberty, as a plain prelude to the invasion of freedom in this country; but
he trusted, that the virtue of the Americans, aided by the friends of freedom
here, would teach the tories of this day, as their ancestors had been happily
taught, how vain a thing it is to attempt wrestling their liberties from a
people determined to defend them.'
"Mr. Lee was sworn in on the 14th of June, and after the meeting
was over 'went in the state coach with the Lord Mayor to the Mansion
House, where he was elegantly entertained by his Lordship, with a number
of other guests.' " (From the Letters of JViluav: Lee, edited by W. C.
Ford, 1S91, 26-7.)
Thus, the beginning of the Revolution found Mr. Lee holding the office
of sheriff in London, yet bound by all ties of kindred and by his business
interests to the cause of the Colonies. " His connections and opinions
were well known in the city and to the government, and he, with his
brother Arthur, were soon objects of suspicion to the ministry. It was not
surprising, therefore, to find in the English Records Office some letters from
William to his brothers in Virginia that the administration had intercepted ;
and the contents of these missives fully justified the suspicion of the minis-
try of his disloyalty, and arouse in us a feeling of surprise that the writer was
not seized or his usefulness as an agent of America repressed." (^Lbid., 44.)
In 1775, Alderman Lee accompanied the Lord Mayor and other city
dignitaries to St. James to present to the King "an humble address and
petition," praying for the suspension of all " operations of force," etc.
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238 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
About the 21st of April, 1777, Mr. Lee received notice of his appointment
as commercial agent for the Continental Congress in France; subsequently,
in September, 1777, he was appointed to represent the Colonies at the courts
of Berlin and Vienna; to the latter city he went on a fruitless errand; his
brother, Arthur, going in his place to Berlin, and was likewise unable to gain
any substantial results from that court. Later on, William Lee accepted the
position of representative at The Hague, where he was able to conclude a
treaty with the Dutch, which exerted son:ie moral influence, though not of
practical value. It is claimed that Mr. Lee was one of the earliest origi-
nators of the move which finally secured the treaty of "armed neutrality,"
which was to protect the freedom of commerce against the exactions of
England. This treaty was of considerable value to America, as it enabled
them to secure supplies from friendly nations in Europe, and if Mr. Lee
was instrumental in gaining this treaty he rendered his country a valuable
service.
Both William and Arthur Lee soon became involved in disputes v ith
their colleagues, and were antagonized in their efforts by these quarrels.
This unfortunate antagonism greatly enfeebled the commissioners in their
efforts to serve their country. Finally the quarrel grew so bitter that the
Congress recalled them and sent other agents abroad. It is not within the
purpose of this work to discuss political questions, therefore the various
causes which led to these quarrels cannot be considered here; it is, how-
ever, only just to the Lees to state that they were supported in their views
by many of the truest patriots of the time, and subsequent disclosures
would seem to prove the justness of their contentions. Though he felt
himself to have been most unjustly treated, William Lee maintained a
dignified silence, being "so patriotic as to submit his plea to Congress
and tlien remain inactive," as the evidently prejudiced editor of his
"Letters" puts the case. He remained in Europe until about 1784,
when he returned to America, and resided on his estate, Greenspring ;
the last years of his life were saddened by poor health and almost total
blindness. A three-volume edition of the Letters of William Lee have
recently been published by Mr. W. C. Ford, of Brooklyn. A perusal of
these letters (and they are only a small part of his letters remaining, pre-
served in his letter-books) show the writer to have been a true, honest and
very energetic patriot.
As so many of his letters are in print now, only a few of them are
given in this sketch. One to his kinsman, Thomas Sim Lee of Maryland,
is interesting. \Vriting under date of loth December, 17S0, from Brussels,
he said :
-y -f!
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. S39
" Dear Sir, — I embrace ihe eailicL-it opportunity of congratulating you
on the signal honor done, by your country, to your merit and abiHties, by
appointing you their governor; and, though the period is trying and diffi-
cult, I have no doubt of your acquitting yourself in the impurtant station
to the advantage of your country and credit of yourself. . . .
"You have been frequently advised of the enemy's plan against North
Carolina, Virginia, and Mar\iand, which was adopted since receiving ad-
vice of the capture of Charleston ; and, to facilitate the business, many
suspicious characters, natives of those Slates, that have been in England,
doing no good to us, for some years past, have been ordered to their re-
spective countries to aid the enemy's designs by creating division, confu-
sion, and disturbance in your councils and operations. Should any such
characters now come among you, especially if they have passed through
the enemy's quarters, you cannot be too attentive to their motions and con-
duct. It is said that they have permission from the British ministry to
take the oaths to their respective States, for reasons obvious. By Leslie's
expedition to the Chesapeake, part of the enemy's grand plan has begun to
be executed ; and if Leslie succeeds in making any establis]:iment in Vir-
ginia or North Carolina, next spring's campaign will be opened with the
greater part of the British force against Virginia and Maryland, in which
case your country will act with sound wisdom and policy by affording every
powerful assistance to Virginia, which will surely prove the most effectual
method to prevent the horrors of war from waging in their own country,
and the flames from seizing their own homes. Every State will show its
wisdom in choosing the most able and honest men among them, and who
have interest of their own to lose, to represent them in Congress. The
system of general and long-continued embargoes on the export of grain and
provisions ai-ipears to be bad policy, as they naturally tend to produce
scarcity, and, in bad seasons, even a famine, by discouraging agriculture.
Your operations seem to have been much distracted by the depreciation of
your paper currency : the only solid remedy seems to be in the power of
Congress ; and perhaps it hcOs hitherto been neglected because it is plain and
simple. A fund established in Europe (v^-hich might be established by a
loan, until by the export of your commodities, it might be supported on
easier terms to America), and sacredly appropriated to the sole use of paying
the interest annually of the paper money, would, in a little time, establish
the credit and currency of your paper on as solid a basis as the bank-notes
of England or Holland ; and by this means, with your jjaper, you would
be enabled to procure supplies for your army on much better terms than
you have done hitherto. The plan of conducting such a business is so
:..,' r;
34© LEE OF VIRGINIA.
plain, that I shall only add my sincere wishes that it may speedily be
adopted.
"The Britisli ministry have certainly pron;ised Gen. Clinton to send
him in the spring a re-enforcement of ten tliousand men, including
the recruits for the German corps now in America. Perliaps some may flat-
ter you that the enemy will not be able to procure such a number to send ;
but I request you not to deceive yourselves, and be inattentive to your true in-
terests, by relying on such rumors, or the foreign aid that may be promised
you from Europe; no people can be in safety that rely on another for pro-
tection. France is indeed very powerful, both by sea and land, and will,
no doubt, act vigorously against the common enemy ; but so many acci-
dents and untoward circumstances have intervened to render abortive all
the attempts they have hitherto made to assist us, that, in common sense
and prudence, you ought not to trust to aid that must come from Europe.
If it does come, so much the better, as you may then finish tlie war at once ;
but place your confidence on yourselves alone, and then you cannot be
essentially hurt.
"The Dutch have at last formally acceded, and so has the King of
Prussia, to the treaty of armed neutrality, as j*roposed last spring by tlie
Empress of Russia, and since entered into by Sweden and Denmark. The
object of this great and powerful league is to support the freedom of gen-
eral commerce and navigation against the unwarrantable pretensions of
Great Britain ; tlierefore she must now quietly permit France and Spain to
be supplied with naval stores for the support of their navy, or enter into a
war with this tremendous confederacy. It is, however, impossible for her
to resist, which must finally give the superiority to France and S^jain. I
feel no little pleasure in communicating to you the completion, so far, of
this confederacy, as the first traces were laid b}" m)-self two _\ears ago; and
if Congress had now in Europe ministers properly authorized to negotiate
with those powers, it would not be difficult to obtain a general acknowl-
edgment from them of the independence of America, which was my ulti-
mate object in forming the outlines of this scheme,
"The public news in England you will sec in all the papers that go
by this conveyance; so that I have only to recommend to you, in the
most pressing manner, a vigorous exertion, unanimity, and confidence in
yourselves, which may, in all probability, end the war this year in your
favor.
" We humbly present our respectful compliments to your worthy lady,
and beg you to believe me to be, at all times, dear sir, your affectionate
relation, and most obedient, humble servant."
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340 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
plain, that I shall only add niy sincere wishes that it may speedily be
adopted.
"The Britisli ministry have certainly proujised Gen. Clinton to send
him in the spring a re-enforcement of ten thousand men, including
the recruits for the German corps now in America. Perhaps soi"ne may flat-
ter you that the enemy will not be able to procure such a number to send ;
but I request you not to deceive yourselves, and be inattentive to your true in-
terests, by relying on such rumors, or the foreign aid that may be promised
you from Europe; no people can be in safety that rely on another for pro-
tection. France is indeed very powerful, both by sea and land, and will,
no doubt, act vigorously against the common enemy ; but so many acci-
dents and untoward circumstances have intervened to render abortive all
the attempts they have hitherto made to assist us, that, in common sense
and prudence, you ought not to trust to aid that must conie from Europe.
If it does come, so much the better, as you may then finish the war at once ;
but place your confidence on yourselves alone, and then you cannot be
essentially hurt.
"The Dutch have at last formally acceded, and so has the King of
Prussia, to the treaty of armed neutrality, as proposed last spring by tlie
Empress of Russia, and since entered into by Sueden and Denmark. The
object of this great and powerful league is to support the freedom of gen-
eral commerce and navigation against the unwarrantable pretensions of
Great Britain ; therefore she must now quietly permit France and Spain to
be supplied with naval stores for the support of their navy, or enter into a
war with this tremendous confederacy. It is, however, impossible for her
to resist, which must finally give the superiority to France and Spain. I
feel no little pleasure in communicating to you the completion, so far, of
this confederacy, as the first traces were laid by myself two \ears ago ; and
if Congress had now in Europe ministers properly authorized to negotiate
with those powers, it would not be difiicult to obtain a general acknowl-
edgment from them of the independence of America, which was my ulti-
mate object in forming the outlines of tliis scheme.
"The public news in England you will see in all the papers that go
by this conveyance; so that I have only to recommend to you, in the
most pressing manner, a vigorous exertion, unanimity, and confidence in
yourselves, which may, in all probabilitv, end the war this year in your
favor.
" We humbly present our respectful compliments to your worthy lady,
and beg you to believe me to be, at all times, dear sir, your affectionate
relation, and most obedient, humble servant."
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION'. 24 1
To his brother, Arthur Lee, he wrote from Ostend, under date of the
22d of June, 1783 :
" My Dear Brother : I have been here with my son ten daies waiting
to embark in the Vir^inid, Capt. Robinson, p"" James River in Virginia.
We shall sail in two daies certainly if the wind permits, but as we are to call
at Madeira this is sent by a vessel from this port to Baltimore; and if she
has a quick passage this may reach you some time before we arrive. There-
fore wish you to write immediately to R. H. L. to prepare to come down
to Green Spring, with his son Tom, to meet me, for I shall have great
occasion to see them and our brother Loudoun^ imniediately on my arrival.
Therefore shall send an ex[)ress to them for that jnirpose the moment I get
on shore. Can I get three or four carriage horses in Virginia, or are they
to be got cheaper or better at Philadelphia? If they are, can you purchase
two good ones for me, and contrive them to Green Spring by the middle of
September at farthest? If you can, I shall be obliged to you for doing so,
but remember I can't afford to give above 30 or 35;^ Virginia currency
apiece for siout, good, and young carriage horses from four to six years
old. In August last I sent you some papers. They were directed under
cover to the President of Congress, then by Mrs. Izard put up in a packet
with her own letters, directed to her husband, and delivered iiito the hands
of Gen'l l^uPortail. If you have not received these letters, may inquire of
Mr. Izard and Gen'l DuP. about them.
" English and French news you will have more authentic and fresh
from England and France than this could carry to you. It seems pretty
certain that war is by this time commenced between Russia and the Turks.
The Envperor will certainly join Russia, and in this case many think that
France and even England will assist the Turks. If so. the war v.-ill be gen-
eral in ]un-ope. I have just rccei\-ed }our favor of the 19th of .\pril from
Alexandria with its inclosures, for which I greatly thank you. Adieu till I
see you."
Mr. Lee sailed from Ostend on the last day of June, and arrived at
Greenspring, after a tedious voyage, on the 25th of September. {Letters
of William Lee, 946.)
Under date of 24th of April he had written to John Adams : " I pro-
pose to embark for Virg^ in three weeks from this time, but in order to
make my passage convenient I have been obliged to purchase a ship "
(//'/</., 944).
The correspondence between ^Villian1 Lee and his kinsman, the Rev.
' Hi» brother, F. L. Lee.
16
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242 LKE OK VIRGINIA.
Henry Lee, warden of Winchester College, England, will be read with in-
terest, as it is chiefly on family history :
To Dr. H. Lee, dated 9 September, 1771. "Sir: It gave me much
pleasure to find t"rom a conversation the other day with Mr. Batson, my
banker, who spoke very highly in your praise, that we were of the same
family. He tells me that you are the 2d son of L. Lee, Esqr. , late of Cotton
in Shropsliire, and that your elder Brother Lancelot, is now abroad at Aix,
for the recovery of his health. I know your fiither corresponded with mine,
who was of the King's privy Council in Virginia, and when he died Presi-
dent and Commander-in-chief over that Colony ; and I remember, when a
little boy in Virginia, to have seen and read a very sensible letter, and well
written, frona your father to mine, giving an accurate genealogical account
of our family from so old a date as the Saxon government in this country ;
from which jieople, I am sure, he traced the descent of our famil}'. From
that accoiuU, it appeared that the Cotton family was the eldest branch and
his immediate predecessor, who went to Virginia about one hundred and
thirty years ago as Secretary and of the King's Privy Council, v,as a younger
brother. I remember one observation he made, which struck my young
mind very forcibly. He said, ' 'Tis ^\orthy of remark, that, in so long
a period, there has bieen neither spendthrift nor usurer in the family; the
children moderately using the patrimon}' left them, without adding much to
the store, by which means they have always continued independent ; and,
not being ambitious, they have kept nearly the same rank in life through so
many centuries as the original stock was in, which is more than can be said
of most families in the kingdom ': which remark 'is surprisingly verified by
the family in Virginia, which has continued from father to son, to be placed
in the highest offices of honour in the colonies ever since the first Richard
Lee, my great-grandfather, who went over there one hundred and thirty
years ago to this very day ; and I believe every inch of property left at his
death (which was considerable) is now in the possession of his immediate
descendants. As your fother was a gentleman of learning and observation,
I do not doubt his having left behind him some historical account of our
family, and I shall be particularly obliged to you for gi\ing me what infor-
mation you can about it, as I am most anxious to know all the different
branches in this country. Pray, is not the Earl of Litchfield of our family?
For he has the name, and, I think bears our arms, or have we any relations
in or near London, aj I find there are many of our name? I shall be
glad to hear of your brother's recovery ; and, if he comes through London
on h-is return. I shall be happy to see him on Great Tower Hill, where
I shall hope for the honour of a visit from you when you come to
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 243
Town ; and I shall with pleasure render you any services here that are in
my power.
** I am, with great respect. Reverend Sir, Your most obedient servant
and Kinsman."
Rev. Henry Lee to William Lee:^
" Sir, I return you Thanks for your civil and polite Letter and likewise
my good Friend Mr. Batson for making me known to you. I wish it was in
my Power to give you that Intelligence which you so earnestly desire of y'
Genealogy of our Family. The Pedigree which my Father left behind
him is now in the Possession of m\' elder Brother, which to the best of my
Remembrance traces our Family from the Saxon Government. As he is
abroad, I cannot procure it from him, but I have sent to another Relation,
who I believe has a copy of it. As to myself, being a younger Brother, I
never made a deep Inquiry into the Origin of our Family. As far as my
knowledge extends I will reveal to you. My Grandfather, Thos. Lee who
v>-as a Barrister of La»\-, Lincolns Inn, married a Daughter of John Eldred
of Great Saxham in Norfolk, from which Alliance I'm related to William of
Wykeham. He left several children, the eldest was my I-'ather, another son
who settled in \A'iltbhire and has left children behind him. The third, a
clergyman, who had Issue, but are now dead. The Heir to the Lee in
Wiltshire is a young nian in the Army. He has two Brothers and several
sisters. The second is a Linen Draper in London, and the youngest is now
at school here and upon the Foundation as a Founders Kinsman. He is
one of the Senior Boys of the school and I hope will soon succeed to New
College in Oxford. My own Family are numerous, one Brother and seven
Sisteis, who are married and dispers'd. As soon as I can get a perfect
account of our Family you shall hear from me. In the mean Time, if you
shou'd have a Desire of seeing your young Relation whom you have been
so kind as to send to Winchester School, you will make my Wife and me
extremely happy by favouring us with your Company. You may depend
upon it, I shall not fail pacing my Respects to you the first Time I go to
London. My Brothers Wife is now with me, she leaves me Friday next in
order to go to her Husband. He gives but a very indifferent /Vccount of
himself in his Letters. I shall desire my Sister to communicate the Con-
tents of your Letter to him. We are not related to the Earl of Litchfield.
There is a Doctor Lee in London, a Phy.-.ician and I'm inform'd bears our
.•\rms. Whether he is related to us, or not, I know not. My Sister and
* Dated Win; Col!: 13 September, 1771.
844 ^^^ <^f VIRGINIA.
V.'ife join me in Comp'". to you. With Dear Sir, Your most obedient Serv-
ant and Kinainan, (Signed) Harry Lee."
William Lee to Rev. Henry Lee :
" London, 26 Ociober, 1771. — Sir. I am afraid \ou will hardly forgive
me for not answering sooner, )our very kind and obliging favour of the
12th ulto.; but the true reason is, that my friend being out of Town, I
waited his return to get a Frank, to inclose you a short account of our
Family, since the first Richard Lee went to Virginia, in return for the
account you so obligingly promise to procure for me. What I have written
is all from memory, tho' I believe pretty accurate ; but after it was written
I have found in an old manuscript, this inscription taken from a cup in the
University of Oxford : ' Coll : Reg : Oxon. Inscript : Cyath : Johann :
Lee. Coll : Reg : Oxon. D. D. Johann : Lee natus in Capahowasick
Wickacomoco in Mrginia American, filius primogenitus Richardi Lee Chili-
archre oriundi de Morton Regis in agro Salopiensi : 1659.' This John Lee
was ihe eldest son of my Great Grandfather, Richard Lee, who dyed as I
have mentioned in Virginia and unmarried, before his Father. The L)r.
Lee in London, v.-hom you mention, is I presume mv younger brother. It
perhaps may be in my way to be of some service to the Mr. Lee who is in
London, therefoie should be glad to know the street he lives in. From
some further con\eisation with Mr. Batson, I am inclined to think it must
be your Brother that corresponded with my Father, Thomas Lee of Strat-
ford in Virginia: since the letter I tbrmerly mentioned was wrote about the
time of the famous contest in Bridgenorth for a member of Parliament in
the latter days of Sir Robert 'Walpole.
" I have no doubt of Master Turberville's receiving all the benefit that
can be desired from your College as he has good parts and I hope good dis-
positions; any countenance you show him will always be thankfully acknowl-
edged by me. I am well convinced that London is an exceeding improper
place for boys or young men, more especially when not under the imme-
diate control of their parents, for which reason it will give me much con-
cern if there should be a necessity of Master Turberville's coming up at the
two vacations. I some time ago wrote to Dr. Warton on this subject, but
he has never yet favoured me with an answer. It appears to me a very
eligible plan, if it can be executed, at those periods to procure a master for
him, either in \N'inchester or some neighboring Clergyman, who might
instruct him in Geography, Mathematics or Arithmetic; or to amuse him
with the reading of History and country exercises.
. " Vou will oblige me much by giving me your sentiments on it, or by
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH CEN'ERATION. 245
proposing some other plan that you more approve of, that will answer the
ends of improving his understanding and keeping his niorals untainted.
" It will give me much pleasure to hear of your Brother's recovering his
health and whenever you and your Lady pay a visit to this Metropolis, Mrs.
Lee and myself will be very happy to see you on Tower Hill. During the
Winter my time will be too much taken up with necessary business to admit
of the pleasure I should receive in kissing your hands at Winchester but I
will flatter myself with that happiness next Summer. I beg my respectful!
Compliments may be presented to your Lady and that you will believe me
to be with great regard. Dear Sir, Your most Obedient, Humble Servant and
Relation."
While residing in London, William Lee wrote, as he mentioned in the
preceding letter, an account of the Virginia family; this paper has never
been published in full, or accurately. The following copy is taken from
William Lee's original manuscript, now in the possession of \Villiam Black-
stone Lee, Esq., of Seend, Wiltshire, who has kindly furnished it.
Dated London, September, 1771. — " Richard Lee, of a good family in
Shropshire (and whose Picture. I am told is now at Cotton, near Bridge-
north, the seat of Launcelot Lee. Esqr.), some time in the Reign of Charles
the first, went over to tlie Colony of Virginia, as Secretar} and one of the
King's Privy Council, which last post will for shortness hereafter be called
of the 'Council.' He \\as a man of good Stature, comely visage, an en-
terprising genius, a sound head, vigorous spirit and generous nature. When
he got to Virginia, which was at that time not much cultivated, he was so
pleased with the Countr)- that he made large settlements there with the
servants he had carried over; at'ter some years, he returned to England and
gave awa_\- all the lands he had taken up, and settled, at his own expense, to
those servants he had fixed on them ; some of whose descendants are now
possessed of very considerable Estates in that Colony.
" .-\fter staying some time in England, he returned again to Virginia,
with a fresh band of adventurers, all of whom he settled there. During the
civil war here Sir William Berkeley was Governor of Virginia, he and Lee,
being Loyalists, kept the Colony to its allegiance; so that after the death
of Charles the ist Cromwell was obliged to send some Ships of War and
Soldiers to reduce the Colony, which not being well able to resist, a Treaty
was made with the Commonwealth of England, wherein Virginia was styled
an independent dominion. This Treaty was ratified here, as made with a
foreign Power, upon which Sir William Berkeley (who was of the same
family with the pre'=;ent Earl of Berkeley) was removed and another Gov-
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246 LEF, OF VIRGINIA.
ernour appointed in liis roo.n. When Charles the 2d was at Breda, Richard
Lee came over from Virginia and went there to him to know if he could
undertake to ])rotect the Colony if they returned to their allegiance to him ;
but Finding no sup^port could be obtained, he returned to Virginia and re-
mained quiet until the deatii of O. Cromwell: when he, with the assistance
of Sir William lierkeley, contrived to get K. Charles the 2d proclaimed
there King of England, Scotland, France, Ireland and Virginia, two years
before he was restored here; and Sir William Berkeley was reinstated as his
Governour, in which station he continued till some time after the Restora-
tion, when he came over here and dyed presently. It was in consequence
of this step that the motto to the Virginia arras always till after the Union,
was * En dat Virginia quintam,' but since the Union it was changed to
' P^n dat Virginia quartam,' tliat is King of Great Britain, France, Ireland
and Virginia.
" Here by the way I canjiot help remarking the extreme ingratitude of
this Prince, Charles the 2d. Oliver Cromwell to punish Virginia, and
some other parts of America, for adhering so firmly to the Royal Cause,
at'ter he had got himself quite fixed in his Supreme Authority both here and
there, contrived the famous Navigation Act, upon a model he borrowed
from the Dutch ; by whicli the American Colonies v>-ere deprived of many
of their ancient and valual)]c privileges; upon the Restoration, instead of
repealing this act, it was confirmed by the wliole legislature here, and to
add to the ingratitude, at two other periods in his reign. Taxes were im-
posed on American commodities under the pretext of Regulations of Trade,
from which wicked source have flowed all the bitter waters that are now-
likely to overwhelm America, or this country and most probably will be
in the end the ruin of both.
" But to rt-turn. Thi:, Richard Lee had several children ; the two eld-
est, John and Richard, were educated at Oxford. John took his degrees
as Doctor of Physic, and returning to Virginia, dyed before his Father.'
Richard was so clever and learn 'd that some great men offered to promote
him to the highest dignities in the church if his Father would let him stay
in England ; but this offer was refused, because the old Gentleman was de-
termined to fix all his children in Virginia, and so firm was he in this pur-
pose that by his will he ordered an Estate he had in England, (I think)
near Stratford by-Bow in Middlesex, at that time worth 8 or ^900 per
1 .-Xs clo.xrly sK^wn elsewhere (see page 63), this stateri'.eut is erroneous. John evidently died .ibout
uinc years afirr h's f.ithcr. But he apparently died without issue, and so left Richard heir to his father and
head of the f.inuly. U was probably knowledtje of this latter fact that led to the statement tliat John died
before his father.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 247
annum to be sold, and the money to be divicied among his children. He
dyed and was buried in Virginia, leaving a nunierous progeny, whose names
I have chiefly forgot. His eldest son, then living, was Richard, who spent
almost his whole life in study and usually wrote his notes in Greek, Hebrew,
or I-atin, many of which are now in Virginia ; so that he neither improved
or diminished his paternal Estate, though at that time he might with ease
have acquired, what would produce at this day a most princely revenue. He
was of the Council in Virginia, and also in other offices of honour and profit,
though they yielded little to him. He married a Corbin, into which family
his Predecessors in England had before married, but the name was then
spelt Corbyn or Corbyne, I think of Staffordshire. From this marriage he
had, and left beliind him when he dyed, in Virginia, which was some time
after the Revolution, five sons, Richard, Phili}), Francis, Thomas, Henry,
and one Daughter. Richard settled in London, as a Virginia merchant, in
partnership with one Thomas Corbin, a brother of his mother's ; he mar-
ried an heiress, in England, l>y the name of Silk, and by her left one son,
George, and two daughters, I.ettico and Martha; all of these three children
went to Virginia and settled. George married a Wormeley llicre, ^\ho dyed
leaving one daughter ; then he married a Fairfax, nearly related to Lord
Fairfax of Vorkshire, and dyed leaving, by his last marriage, three sons,
that are now niinors, and are at school in England under the care of Ish.
James Russell. Let lice married a Corbin and her sister married a Turbcr-
ville; their eldest children intermarried, from which union George Lee
Turberville, now at Schoi:>l at W'inton College, is the oldest issue. Philip,
the second son, went to Maryland, where he married and settled. He was
one of the Proprietor's Council ; and dyed leaving a very numerous Family,
that are now branched out at large over the whole Province, and are in plen-
tiful circumstances. I'he eldest son, Richard, being now a member of the
Projirietor's Council. Francis, the third son, dyed a Patchelor. Thomas,
the fourth son, though with none but a common Virginia Education, yet
having strong natural parts, long after he was a man, he learned the Lan-
guages without any assistance but his own genius, and became a tolerable
adept in Greek and Latin. He married a Ludwell, of whose genealogy I
must give a short account, being materially interested therein.
" The Ludwells, though the name is now extinct, are an old and honour-
able family of .Somersetshire in England; the original of them, many ages
since, coming from Germany. I'hiiip Ludwell and John Ludwell, being
brothers and sons of a Miss Cottington, who was heiress of James Cot-
tington, the next brother and heir to the famous Lord P'rancis Cotting-
ton, of whom a pretty full account may be seen in Lord Clarendon's ///s-
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24S LEE OF VIRGINIA.
tary of the RebelUcn, were in Court favour after the Restoration of Charles
the cd. Tohn was appointed Secretary and one of the Council in Virginia,
where I believe he dyed without issue. Pliilip, the eldest brother, went to
America Governour of Carolina, and from whence he went to Virginia and
married the widow of Sir Willliam Berkeley, by whom he had a daughter'
that married a Col. Parke, who was afterwards Governour of the Leeward
Islands in the West Indies, and dyed in Antigua, the seat of his Govern-
ment, and one son named Philip. After some time old Philip Ludwell re-
turned to England and dying here Nvas buryed in Bow church near Strat-
.ford ; his son, Philip, remained in Virginia, where his father had acquired
a very capital estate, and married a Harrison, by whom he had tv.o daugh-
ters : Lucy, the eldest, who married a Col. Grymes, who was of the
Council in Virginia, and Hannah, who married the before mentioned
Thomas Lee, and oijC son, Philip. This Philip was, as his father had been,
of the Council in \'irginia. He manied a Grymes by whom he had several
children, most of whom dyed in their infancy, and in the year 1753, ^"^
wife dyed; in 1760, he came over to England for his health and in 1767,
he dyed here, when tlie male line of Ludwell became extinct ; he left heir-
esses three daughters, Hannah Philippa, Frances, and Lucy. The second
daughter is since de.id, unmarried.
" This Tliomas Lee, by his Industry and Parts, acquired a considerable
Fortune, for being a younger Brother, with many children, his Paternal
Estate was very small. He was appointed of the Council, and though he
had very few acquaintances in England, he was so vvell known by reputa-
tion, that upon his receiving a loss by fire, the late Queen Caroline sent
him over a bountiful present out of her own Privy Purse. Upon the late
Sir '\\'illiam Gooch's being recalled, who had been sometime Governor of
Virginia, he became President and Commander-in chief over the Colony;
in which station he continued for sometime 'til the King thought proper to
appoint him Governor of the Colony; but he d}"ed in 1750, before his
commission got o\er to him. He left by this marriage with Miss Ludv.-ell
six sons, Philip Ludwell, Thomas Ludwell, Richard Henry, Francis Light-
foot, William, Arthur, and two daughters, all well provided for in Point of
Fortune. Philii> Ludwell is now of the Council in Virginia, is married,
has two daughters and lives at Stratford on Potomack River, Virginia;
Thomas Ludwell is married, has several children and lives at Bellevue on
' This stems to be .-in error, for, so f.ir .ts is known. Lady L'erkcley never had any issue. This Philip
LudwcU was twice matritd ; his first wife had been twice married before she married him. She was Lucy,
dau;;htci of Robert Higijinson. and had manied siiccesiivcly Major Lewis Burwell and CoL William Ber-
nard, (f tr. Magazine, etc., I, 173.) Philip Ludwcll's brother w.is Tkoma'i , not John, as given by William
Lee.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 249
Potomack River, Virginia; Richard llenry is married, and lives at Chan-
tillv, Potomack River, Virginia, and has several children ; Francis Light-
foot, t-A-o years ago, married a daughter, and one that will be a coheiress
of the Hon. John Tayloe of Virginia ; he has no child, and lives at Meno-
kin on Rappahanoc River in A'irginia. William, the writer of this account,
in 1769, married in London Miss Hannah Philippa Ludwell. He has no
children and is settled as a Virginia merchant on Tower Hill, London.
Arthur studied Physic at Edinburgh, where he took his degrees, but dis-
liking the profession, he entered about two years ago as a student of law at
Lincoln's Inn and is now at No. 3 Essex Court in the Temple, prosecuting
his studies. The two daughters, Hannah and Alice, were both well mar-
ried, and are settled in America. Henry, the fifth brother, and next to
Thomas, married a Bland, and left John, Richard, Henry and Lcitice.
John is dead without issue ; Richard is still living, and unmarried, though
45 years old, which is a great age in Virginia to Ik- single, and his seat is
called Lee Hall on Potoniack River \'iiginia. Henry is married and has
several children ; his seat is called Leesylvania, on Potomack River, Vir-
ginia. The only sister of these five brothers, married a Fitzhugh, a consid-
erable famil)- in Virginia, and left several children. Her descendants are
still living."
William Lee's will was dated the 24th of February, 17S9; two codicils
were added at later dates ; it was probated at Richmond, on the nth of
June, 1796.
In the name of God Amen. T William Lee of Virginia late alderman of London be-
ing of sound disposing sense and memory do make publish and declare this instrument or
written paper to be and contain my last will and Testament hereriy revoking annulling and
rendering void to all intents and purposes all former wills or testaTnents by me heretofore
made. I'i.'-st my soul I ccmniit to our *^5racious Clod and Heavenly father stedfastly hoping
that through his inhnite mercy and the precious merits of our blessed redeemer Jesus Christ
it \s ill enter into eternal salvation — Amen. Item, I desire that my body may be committed
to the earth wherever I may chance to die without any pomp or parade, or any unnecessary
expense whatever. Item, my will and desire is that my executor herein after named, do
pay as soon after my decease as may be consistent with the good of my estate all my just
debts that is to say all demands not debarr'd by any act or acts of limitation and which shall
be supported by indifferent testimony and no others; the various affairs in which I have
been concerned in the variety of Countries in which my transactions have been, and the
circumstances of the late revolution which have necessarily occasioned the loss of many
material papers and vouchers together with the misfortune of losing my eyesight which has
caused my accounts to be more imperfect than they otherwise would have been, render this
precaution abiolutely necessary. Item, I give and devise and bequeath to my dearly
beloved son Williim lAidwell Lee and his heirs forever all that estate real personal and
mixed lying l)cmg and situate in lames City county James Town and the City of Williams-
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250 LEE OF VIRGINIA, '
burg which descended to his mother my late dear wife Ilannnh Philippa Lee as coheiress
and legatee of her late frther the Honourable Philip LiidweU and as coheiress to her late
sister Frances Ludwell with all the Horses, Mares, colts, mules, asses, Horn'd cattle, sheep
Hogs and stocks of every kind and all the plantation uter.sils that may he on said estate at
the time of my decease, and also all my Books plate and furniture that may be in rny house
at Grceuipring cr in the hands of any other persons or person at the time of my decease,
except such particular Looks and pieces of plate or furniture which I shall herein aftei
bequeath to either of my two daughters Portia and Cornelia. Item, I give devise and
bequeath unto my dear daughter Portia Lee and her heirs forever all that tract or parcell of
Land lying and being on the waters of Bull run and in the County of Prince William or
Loudoun which I purchased of John Page Esq^ of Rosewell in the County of Gloucester
containing by estimation twelve hundred and tlfty acres more or less which tract of land
was conveyed to me and my heirs forever by the said John Page by deed bearing date on
the twelfth day of October in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven and
by him acknowledged in the General Court on the twenty sixth day of the said Octoijcr in the
said year and then and there ordered to be recorded together with all houses and improve-
ments advantages and hereditaments and appurtenances to the said tract of land in any wise
belonging when she -hall arrive at the age of twenty one years or on her day of inanisge pro-
vided she doth not marry without the consent of a majority of her Guardians herein after
appointed who shall act in that capacity, to be obtained in writing and not before she shall
arrive to the age of sixteen years, for my will and meaning is that if she shall marry before
she shall be of the age of sixteen years or after that before she shall be of the age of twenty
one years without the consent in writing previously obtained of a majority of her guardians
aforesaid as aforesaid in either of the above cases the devise herein made of the land afore-
said shall be void and of no effect but the said land shall pass and go to my son William Lud-
well Lee and his heirs forever. Item, I give and bequeath to my said dear daughter Portia
Lee twelve hundred and fifty pounds sterling money of Grenl Britain, to be paid to her at
the age of twenty one years or on her day of marriage, but upon the same condition and
proviso which hath been herein before annexed to the device of the land herein before given
to her, and in the mean time my will and desire is that the jirofits of the land herehi before
devised to her and the interest of the legacy of twelve hundred and fifty pounds sterling
aforesaid shall be applied from the lime of my decease to her maintenance and education
or so much thereof as my executors herein after mentioned or a majority of them shall
think proper and the overplus if any there be shall be paid as lirfore mentioned with regard
to the said money legacy to my said daughter Portia Lee. Item, I give and bequeath unto
my said dear daughter Portia Lee a Mahogany desk and bookcase which siands in my
chamber and was used always by her late dear Mother together with all tlie [irinted and
manuscript Books therein at the time of my decease. Item, I give and bequeath to my dear
daughter Cornelia Lee two thousand pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be paid to
her when she shall arrive to the age of twenty one years or on the day of her marriage,
provided she doth not marry without the consent of a majority of her Guardians herein
after appointed who shall act in that capacity to be obtained in writing and not before she
shall anive to the age of sixteen years for my will and meaning is that if she shall marry
before she shall be of the age of sixteen yea.'-s or after that before she shall be of the age of
twenty one years without the consent in writing previously obtained of a majority of her
Guardians aforesaid as aforesaid in either of the above cases the bequest herein made to her
shall be void and of no effect but the said legacy shall pa,s and go to my son William I.ud-
Well Lee forever and in the mean time until the said legacy shall be payable to her my will
il' U.'.
SrR.\TFORD LINE, FOURTH GENLRATION. 251
and desire is that the profits or interest of the said two thousand pounds sterling from the
time of iny decense shall he applied to her maintenance and education or so much thereof
as my Executors herein after mentioned or a majority of them shall think proper and the
overplus if any there he shall be paid as before mentioned with regard to the legacy itself to
my said dear daughter Cornelia Lee. Item, My will and desire is that my property in the
British Funds which is placed there in the names of Thomas Rogers and George Welch
Bankers of London shall not be applied cither to payment of debts due from me or of any
of the legacies herein bequeathed until after my other personal Estate not herein before given
shall have been applied and found in^ufhcient. Item, I hereby nominate constitute and appoint
the Honorable John Blair of the City c>f Williamsburg, Benjamin Harrison, Esq''- of Bran-
don in Prince George County and my two dear Brothers Francis Lightfoot Lee and Arthur
Lee Esq"'- to be executors of this my last Will and Testament and guardians to my
children and I also appoint iny dear sister Rebecca Lee of Menokin guardian of my two
dear daughters Portia and Cornelia Lee particularly desiring they may be under her sole
care and direction respecting their education. Item, I give to each of my above mentioned
executors a mourning ring of five guineas value as a testimony of my esteem and in full of
every claim that they might or may have against my estate as being executors thereof, and
my meaning is that my executors or any of them shall not be discharged by virtue of this
will or any clause thereof from the payment of any debt or debts that they or any of them
now owe or at the time of mv decease may be owing to me. Item, I give to my dear sister
P>.ebecca Lee of T^Ievioitin a mourning ring often guineas value. Item, My will and desire is
that my son William Ludwell Lee may henceforth omit the name of Lee and take and bear
the name of William Ludwell only tliat the family name of Ludwell so ancient and honorable
both in England and America, from which he is lineally descended, may be revived. Item,
It is my will and desire and earnest request to my executors that they take special care
that no woodland be cleared and that no timber or other trees be cut down on any part of
my estate in James City County on any pretext whatever except for the necessary purposes
of my said estate that is to say for firewood to be used on my plantations for the necessary
building and repairing of the houses for making and repairing the fences on my lands, for
tobacco Hogsheads and tight casks for the use of my plantations and for wheelwright timber
to be worked by my own people and for coal for my blacksmith's shop. Item, I desire
that my Executors may have two women servants at least to be occupied in and about my
house Greenspring and a man and a boy to work in the gardens to take care of the fniit
trees on my several plantations and to take [care] of my stables. Lastly, I give devise and
bequeath to my son William Ludwell Lee and his heirs forever all the rest and residue of my
Estate not herein l-efore devised whether the same be real personal or mixed. In Witness
whereof I have hereunto this twenty fourth day of Febniary in the year one thousand seven
hundred and eighty nine subscribed my name and fixed my seal.
I William Lee of Greenspring in the Parish and County of James City and Common-
wealth of \'irginia do make and puljlish and declare this writing to be a codicil to my last
Will and Testament dated (I think) in P^ebruary 17S9 which is now in the possession of my
Brother Francis Lightfoot Lee Esq''- of Menokin in the County of Richmond and Common-
wealth aforesaid: Whereas in my said last Will and Testament I have given and devised to
my only son \\'iri!am Ludwell and his heirs forever all my lands both freehold and lease-
hold in the s"*- County of James City all my Household lots in Williamsburg and James
Town which I hold in right of his late dear Mother Hannah Philippa eldest daughter and
coheiress of th^ late Honorable Philip Ludwell, also all my lands in Loudoun or Prince
\\ illiam County which I purchased of John Page Esq''- of Kosewell in the County of
l-V ■ ' T- •;! 1 r ..,,
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252 LKE OF VIRGINIA.
Gloucester also all my negro slaves, horses, hom'd cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, asses, mules
and i-tock of every kind with all my plantation utensils which may be on ray said lands and
furthermore have made him my said son my residuary legatee whereby he will be entitled
to and inherit all that Tract or Parcel of Land adjoinin^' to Green Spring being part of the
Land commonly ca'led and known by the name of the Main or Governor's Land which I
have lately bargained for with the Professors of William and Mary Colledge and with the
approbation of the Visitors of the said Colledge. Now I do hereby declare and make
known tliat my intention by the before mentioned legacies and devises was and is to give
and bequeath all the said before mentioned lands houses lots negro slaves with their in-
crease, and all the other property therein mentioned to ray said son William Ludwell and
his heirs forever when he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years and in the meantime
so much of the produce or profits thereof as my executors shall think proper shall be applied
to his maintenance and education and the remainder of such profits or produce if any there
be to go and descend to him \vith the other real and personal Estate. But if my said son
William Ludweil should depart this life before he arrives at the age of twenty one years
then and in that case I give and bequeath to ray eldest daughter Portia and her heirs forever
when she shall arrive at the age of twenty-one years if she be then unmanieu, or at the age
of eighteen if she be then married or at any time thereafter when she shall be married before
she arri\es at the age of twenty one years provided always that she marries agreeably to the
restrictions pointed cut in my said last Will and Testament all that tract or parcel of land
lying and being in tlie said Parish and County of James City commonly called and known
by the name of Green Spring whereon are the plantations called Green Spring Scotland and
Vemeys and several tenements, also all that tract or parcel of Land adjoining Greenspring
being part or parcel of the tract of land commonly called and known by the name of the
Main or Governor's land which I have lately bargained for with the professors of William
and Marv- Colledge and with the approbation of the Visitors of the said Colledge, also all
my Lots in James Town also half of my negroe slaves respecting quantity and quality in
which half all the tradesmen are to be included together with one half of all my Horses,
hom'd cattle, sheep, Hogs and stocks of everj- kind and all my plantation utensils that may
be on the said lands and the produce and profits of the said lands and personal estate from
the time of my decease or that of my said son William Ludwell whichever shall last happen
shall go and descend to my said daughter Portia together v.-ith the real and personal estate
herein given to her. Item, In case my said son Wm. Ludwell departs this life bet'ore he
arrives at the age of twenty one years then and in that case I give and devise to my
daughter Cornelia and her heirs forever w'nen she shall arrive at the age of twenty one years
if she be then unmarried or at the age of eighteen years if she shall be then married or at
any time thereafter before she arrives at the age of twenty one years when she shall be mar-
ried provided she marries agreeably to the restrictions mentioned in my said last Will and
Testament all those two tracts or parcels of land lying and being in the said County of James
City commonly called and known by the names of Hotwater and New Quarter all my
Houses and lots in the City of Williamsburg and all my lands in Loudoun or Prince William
County which I purchased of John Page Esq""- of Gloucester County and also the remaining
one half of all my negro slaves of all my horses, hom'd cattle, sheep. Hogs and stock of
every kind and all the plantation utensils that may be on the lands herein given to her the
produce and profits of the said real and personal estate from the time of my decease or that
of my son William Ludwell which ever shall last happen shall go and descend to my said
daughter Cornelir, together with the real and personal estate herein before given to her.
Item, I hereby nominate and appoint Mr. Robert .\ndrews of the City of Williamsburg
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 253
Mr. William Wilkinson Juii"' of the Main executors of this Codicil and of my last Will and
Testament juintly with those ger.tlemen mentioned as my executors in my said last Will and
Testament. Item, I give to the said Robert Andrews and William Wilkinson Juni"- to each
of them a mourning ring of five guineas value as a mark of my esteem and compensation for
their trouble as my Executors. . Item, I df^sire that this codicil may be proved and recorded
in the same Court with my said last Will and testament. Given under my hand at Green
Spring this twenty first day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred
and ninety.
Know all men that I William Lee of Greenspring in James City County and Common-
wealth of Virginia being of sound disposing sense and memory do make ordain publish
and declare this to be a Codicil to my last Will and Testament to which I shall subscribe
ray name at the bottom this fourth day of February in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ
seventeen hundred and ninety five, Whereas I did on the sixth day of October last at a
public sale of the lands and other property of John Warburton deceased purchase of his
Ex'ors one tract of land in the Main containing by a late survey three hundred acres whereon
the late John Harriss some time since lived and dyed and one other tract of Land lying in
the pine woods between the land of Wm. Wilkinson Junr. and John D. Wilkinson contain-
ing between fifty and sixty acres more or less for which two tracts or parcels of land the
said Executors of John Warburton deceased have made and passed deeds of conveyance to
me which are recorded in the County Court of James City, Now I do by this Codicil give
and bequeath the said two above mentioned tracts or parcels of land with all their appur-
tenances to my son William Ludwell and his heirs forever exactly in the same maimer that
I have given to him my other land in James City County with this further condition that he
is in con'-.ideration of this devise to pay to my two daughters Portia and Cornelia Lee the sum
of seven hundred pounds current money to be equally divided between them their respective
portions or moieties of the said seven hundred pounds to be paid to each of them when
they shall arrive at the age of twenty one years or be married which ever event shall first take
place but in case my said son William Ludwell should depart this life before he arrives at
the age of twenty one years then I give and bequeath the said two before mentioned tracts
or parcels of land with all their appurtenances to my daughter Portia Lee and her heirs
forever she or they in consideration of this devise paying to my daughter Cornelia Lee the
sum of five hundred pounds current money when she the said Cornelia Lee shall arrive at
the age of twenty one years or be married which ever event shall first take place. In wit-
ness whereof I have liereunto set and subscribed my name the day and year above written.
William and Hannah Philippa (Ludwell) Lee had four children, two
.sons and two daughters.
i, William Ludwell', born at London the 23d of January, 1775;
died at ^' Greenspring " the 24th of January, 1S03. He was buried
in the old Jamestown church-yard, near his father. In his will he
asked that he be buried there, saying : " I desire that my body may
be corniiiitted to the earth near the grave of my dear respected father
in the church yard at James Town. The spot where I wish to be interred
is designated by two pegs of Sycamore on the south side of the grave
of my late father." He also desired that the lot be iiiclosed with a
254 LEE OV VIRGINIA.
substantia! Inick wall five feet high and an iroii gate. He bequeathed
all his library, excepting the family Hible, to Bishop Madison; set all
his slaves free and provided for them; gave 500 bushels of corn per
annum to William and IMary College ; remainder of estate to his two
sisters.
ii, Portia^, born in 1777; died the 19th of February, 1840; married
William Hodgson, formerly of White Haven, England, who died at
Alexandria the 7th of November, 1S20; they had eight children:
I, William Ludwell, who died the 27111 of September, 1S41, aged 42
years. 2, Cornelia Ludwell, who died the 4th of June, 1846; 3, Caro-
line Octavia. 4, Charles Henry. 5, Augustus Henry. 6, Julia Au-
gusta. 7, Elizabeth Augusta, who died on the 6th of June, 1825, aged
II years. S, .Sydney Ludwell Hodgson, who died in 1S69.
iii, IjRUTus^, born in November, 1778; died in June, 1779.
iv, Cornelia ^ was born at Brussels the 3d of March, 17S0; died in
1815 ; married on the i6th of October, 1806, John Hopkins, Esq., of
Hichmond ; their issue were : i, Portia Lee, born at " Bellevue " the
30th of August, 1S07; married Dr. Robert T. Baldwin, of Winches-
ter, and left i.-sue. 2, Hannah Philippa Ludwell, born at Alexandria
the 3d of August, 181 r; married her cousin, Cassius Francis Lee
(57, q. v.), and left issue. 3, Mary Anna, born at Alexandria on the 8th
of January, 1S14; married the Rev. AVilliam M. Jackson on the 23d of
Ai:)ril, 1S35, and left issue; she died in 1843; he in 1S55. 4, Henri-
etta Lee Hopkins, born at Alexandria the 2d of April, 1819; died
the 14th of February, 1839; married on the 24th of August, 1837,
the Rev. Richard K. Meade, who died the 19th of November, 1S92,
and left one son, the Rev. W. H. Meade, D. D.
Dr. Arthur Lee, LL. D., F. R. S.
21. .Arthur *, youngest son of Thomas Lee ■'' (Richard ■, Richard ^) and
Hannah Ludwell, his wife, was born at Stratford the 21st of December,
1740, and died at his home, " Lansdown," in Middlesex county, the 12th
of December, 1793. After a course of private tuition Arthur was sent to
Eton, from thence to Edinburgh, where he studied "general science and
polite literature," and, later, medicine. He obtained a diploma, approv-
ing him as a general scholar and conferring the degree of T^L D. He was
always fond of botanical studies, a subject frequently mentioned in his let-
ters ; for his thesis, upon graduation, he wrote on "Peruvian Bark," and
obtained the prize given each year for the best thesi.; qh a botanical topic.
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STR-VrrORD LINE, FOURTH GEN ER ATI OX. 255
His essay was so much approved that it was " decreed " to be published
under tlie direction and autiiority of the university.
Before returning to Mrginia Dr. I-ee traveled through Holland and
parts of Germany. Soon after his return he comuienced the practice of
medicine at Williamsburg, at that time the chief town of the State. Like
many others, who find the study of medicine agreeable enough, but its
practice very unsatisfactory, he soon gave it up and turned his attention to
law and politics, pursuits that suited his restless, energetic disposition much
better than medicine. Early in 1767 he returned to England in company
with his brother ^Villiam, the one to study law,^ the other to enter a mer-
cantile life. Both soon interested themselves in the political questions of
the hour. These were in an agitated condition ; many in England were
dissatisfied with the ministry in both its domestic and colonial policies. It
was the endeavor of the Lees to unite this element of opposition in favor
of the Colonies by a shrewd combination of colonial with domestic afiairs.
Mr. Lee was admitted to the bar in Ajjril, 1775, and began the practice of
the law in London, hi 1776 he left London for Paris and other Continen-
tal cities to act as a commissioner for the American Colonies. Previous to
his departure he had been acting as agent at London for the Colonies of
Massachusetts and \'irginia. He had also been instrum.ental, by means of
a vast correspondence, in bringing the American cause to the attention of
many in England and on the Continent. By his letters to friends in
America, he had been keeping them in touch with the trend of political
events in England. Thus, on the one hand, he aroused public sympathy in
Europe; on the other, he warned the Americans of their danger. It is not
doubtful that he was able, by this correspondence, tu effect much for the
cause of the Colonies. Few writers of that j)eriod wielded a more vigorous
pen than Arthur Lee.
In the spring of 1775, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery of London
desired to present a petition to the King as a remonstrance against the
measures of his ministry in their colonial policy; at their request, Dr. l>ee
wrote this rem.onstrance. A copy of it was also sent to the American
Congress, who ordered a suitable reply to be made. Richard Henry Lee,
as chairman of the committee, drafted this reply. Neither of the brothers
were aware of the part the other had acted in this matter until the\' met
years after its occurrence. Besides the correspondence, already alluded to,
1 it appears from some of his letters ih.^t Arthur Lee went to England -with the intention of practicing
medicine there, but later turned to the law. .\ li^t of" .\merican Templars'' (Pa. Mii^ii::r.e rf Hu'.ory,
XIV, 97) ^ives " Arthur Lee of Virginia"' as entered at "Lincoln's Inn" in 1770 and at "The Middle
Temple" in 1773.
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256 LEK OF VIRGINIA.
Dr. Lee pu]>lislicd his " Monitor's Letters," addressed to the people of the
Colonies, and an "Appeal to the English Nation," which was greatly
admired and for some time attributed to Lord Chatham. Under the signa-
ture of "Junius Americanus," he ])ublished a series of letters. They were
so bright, so able, that Junius wrote to Wilkes: '' My American namesake
is plainly a man of abilities. . . . You may assure Dr. Lee that to )ny heart
and understanding the names of .\rnerican and Englishmen are synonymous ;
and that as to any future taxation upon America, I look upon it as near to
impossible as the highest im[jroliability can go.
"/ hope, that since he has opposed me, tchere he thinks me wrong, he
will be equally ready to assist me, where he thinks nie right." ^
Before his death. Dr. Lee had commenced a memoir of the Revolution,
but did not live to complete it. Much of the part he did write has been
lost, a fragment only being preserved. Some extracts from this will give
a better idea of him and of his work than anything from the pen of another:
" It is to aid iPi placing the history of the American Revolutibn in its true
light, that the following memoirs are written. The author of them was
concerned in iis events froui its commencement to its conclusion. Lie was
employed generally in the highest stations, and in the most secret and con-
fidential transactions. He always preserved the original papers and letters,
on which he founded the journal from which the following memoirs are
extracted. He is therefore sure of their authenticity, as well as of his deter-
mination, 7ie quid falsi dicere ; ne quid acre narrare.
"The writer of these memoirs was in London when the repeal of the
stamp-act was agitated in both houses of parliament. He heard Mr. Pitt
and Lord Camden deliver those celebrated speeches on this question, which
would have immortalized them as orators and statesmen. Though the
obnoxious act was repealed, yet he was persuaded that the spirit which
dictated it and was still resting near the throne was not changed. With
this impression he returned to Virginia.
" It was not long betbre my apprehensions were realized, by the passage
of an act of the British Parliament for imposing duties on tea, paper, glass,
etc., exported to the colonies. This was changing the mode but preserving
the principle of the stamp-act. This was soon and ably pointed out in
some periodical letters, under the signature of a ' Pennsylvania Farmer.'
These letters were written in a popular style, were universally read and as
universally admired.
" I endeavoured to aid their operation in alarming and informing my
» Li/t o/Artk:tr U'., \, 35.
yli
rT'jh
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 257
countrymen by a series of letters under the signature of ' Monitor.' In the
course of a few months it was manifest that the people of this continent
were not disposed to be finessed out of their liberlies ; and as I knew the
Riitish cabinet was determined to enforce rather than abandon the usurpa-
tion, I was persuaded that a very serious contest was approaching. To
prepare for that was the next object in my mind. Tlie most effectual way
to accomplish this, it seemed to me, was to form a correspondence with
leading patriotic men in each colony. I wrote myself to London, where
the acquaintance I had would enable me to obtain speedy and accurate
information of the real designs of tlie British ministry, which being com-
municated to leading men in the several colonies, might enable them to
harmonize in one system of opposition, since on this harmony the success
of their opposition would depend. In pursuance of this plan I went to
Maryland, to Philadelphia, and New York. The men I had in contempla-
tion were ]Mr. Daniel Dulany, who liad written some able pieces, styled
'Considerations on the Stamp-Act;' Mr. John Dickinson, who was the
author of the celebrated ' Farmer's Letters,' and the leader of the Livingston
party in New York, who is at present the governor of New Jersey.
" I found ^[r. Dulany so cold and distant that it seemed in vain to
attempt anything with him. Mr. Dickinson received me with friendship,
and the contemplated correspondence took place. Mr. Livingston, of Nevv
York, was absent from the city in tlie country, lamenting the dealli of a
child, so that I did not see him. The time I was to sail for England now
approached ; I could not therefore proceed farther eastward. Embarking
with one of my brothers, we arrived safely in London.
'•'Tiie proceedings against Mr. Wilkes at this time agitated the nation.
^Ir. Wilkes was the idol of the people, and the abhorrence of the king. All
the power of prerogative, all the influence of the crov\'n, and every practi-
cable perversion of law, were employed to subdue him. Of courage, calm
and intrepid, of a flowing wit, accommodating in his temper, of manners
convivial and conversible, an elegant scholar, and well read in constitu-
tional law, he stood the Atlas of popular opposition. Such was the ma;i
against whom the whole powers of the crown were mustering their rage ;
and whom, to use the words of Junius, ' the rays of ro)'al indignation col-
lected upon him, served only to illuminate, but could not consume.' Mr.
Wilkes was then confined in the King's Bench, as the printer and publis.her
of the 'Essay on Won:ian.' The city of London was the stronghold of
popular opposition, and the Society of the Bill of Rights the most acti\e in
conducting it. This society consisted of real or pretended j>ersonal friends
of Mr. Wilkes; but some insinuated themselves with very different views.
17
y
258 I-EE OF VIRGINIA.
" Having taken this viev.' of the political condition of England, I
formed the plan of connecting myself Avith the opposition ; and the griev-
ances of America with those of England. For this purpose I became a
member of the Bi'l of Rights, and jmrchased the freedom and livery of the
city of London. By these iirjans I acquired a voice and influence in ail
the measures of that society, and in the proceedings and elections of the
citv. An acquaintance v.'iih Mr. Wilkes soon grew into intimacy and confi-
dence. The arbitrary views of the crown originated in the same spirit on
both sides of the Atlantic. To sensible men, therefore, the combining of
the complaints of the people of Au"ierica and England appeared just and
poliiic. I procured the introduction of the grievances of America into the
famoiis Middlesex Petition ; and to keep them alive in the popular mind I
commenced and continued a periodical paper, under the signature of Junius
Americanus. Mv brotlier estal)lished himself in Tondon, was elected an
alderman and one o'" the sheriffs. Our footing was now strong, and the
Anierican cau.se was firmly united with that of England. During these
tr?n>actions I studied law in Lincoln's Inn and the Middle Temple, and
being called to the bar, practiced in the King's bench and on the home
circuit. This situation increased my op[)Ortunitie3 of serving my coun-
try. . . .
"Of the disposition and iritentions of the administration I kept my
correspondents in An^.erica constantly informed, with this constant opinion,
that they must pre; are to maintain their liberties at all hazards. My con-
duct in England had reached America in so favorable a light that the house
of Representatives in Massachusetts elected me their agent, in case of the
absence or death of Dr. Franklin. At that time I was not personally known
to anv member of the house. . . .
•'' Tvly politicLil p>rogrcss kiad made me ac<jua:3ited with many of the
leaders of all parts of the opp'Osition, such as Lord Shelburne, Mr. Beck-
ford, Lord Temple. Mr. Dunning, .Sergeant Glynn, Col. Barre, Mr. Wilkes,
the Aldermen Sawbridge, Townsend, and Oliver. It was by constantly
comparing the uiiVerent ideas of those gentlemen with one another, and
with the plans aiid proceedings of the ministers, that I was able to form a
prett) accurate judgment, both of the real intentions of the latter and how-
far America was warranted in relying on the support of the former. These
were the two principal objects of my pursuit. The dearest rights and
interests of my immediate country were at hazard. It would not have been
wise to have tru.-ted t.^ese to the mere issues of political intrigues and party
opposition for place and preferment. Some, however, of the above leaders
appeared to me hearty in the cause of America, as well as of England.
.■V .,' .
^:,'h ''(il
STR.'^TFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 259
Their advocation of liberty was general. Among these the most illustrious
was the Earl of Shelburne. Him liad I long known, long studied, and
found his conduct uniform and unimpeachable. But the private life of this
nobleman was no less the subject of my esteem and admiration." ^
In November of 1775 Congress ajtpointed a committee to secretly
correspond with the friends of America in Great Eritain " and other parts
of the world." The committee chose Dr. Lee their secret agent in London ;
this letter from them •\\as copied from the original MSS.^
"Philadelphia, 1 2th December, 1775. Sir: By this convevance we
have the pleasure of transuiitting to you sundry printed papers, that such of
them as you think proper may be immediately published in England. . . .
It would be agreeable to Congress to know the disposition of foreign powers
towards us, and we hope this object will engage your attention. We need
not hint that great circumspection and impenetrable secrecv are necessary.
The Congress rely on your zeal and abilities to serve them, and will readily
compensate you for whatever trouble and expense a compliance with their
desire may occasion. We remit you for the present ^200. Whenever you
think the importances of your dispatches may require it, we desire you to
send an express boat with them from England, for which service your agree-
ment with the owner there shall be fulfilled by us here."
In the \\inter of 1776 Dr. Lee went to Paris, in pursuance of this
commission ; and at various times thereafter he visited other capitals on
the same errand — seeking sup[)lies and making friends for the Colonies.
He wrote his brother, R. H. Lee, in 1777 : ''I have within this year been
at the several courts of Spain, Vienna, and Berlin, and I have found this of
France is the great wheel that moves them all." It was in Fel)ruary, 1777,
that Dr. Lee was selected as the commissioner from Congress to proceed to
Madrid, and endeavor to interest the Spanish court in the struggle betv.een
I'lngland and the Colonies. As soon as the British ministry heard of his
ai)pointment they instructed their minister at iSfadrid to protest against his
reception. In consequence, Dr. Lee was stopped at Burgos, by an order
not to proceed further. He returned so s}.iirited a protest that the Spanish
government finally allowed him to proceed to Madrid ; once there, he
exerted himself with great zeal to influence that court, but with no definite
result. The Spanish, being afraid to provoke the English ministry, were
plentiful in promises and assurances of the good-will of the king and people.
Finally Dr. Lee was granted permission to make contracts with any mer-
1 /^(/<r 0/ Arthur Lee, I, pp. 243, et.sej.
" ibid.y I, 53.
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LEE OF VIRGINIA.
chants, etc., for arms and ammunition ; and the Spanish ambassador at Paris
was instructed to keep up a friendly intercourse with the American commis-
sioners at that capital From this intercourse they finally obtained a large
loan.
William Lee, his brother, then stationed at The Hague, was selected by
Congress to act as their agent at Berlin. When this appointment was re-
ceived at Paris, the commissioners there decided that William should remain
in Holland, as his services there were too valuable to make it advisable for
him to go to Berlin. Consequently, they desired that Dr. Lee should take
his commission, and proceed to Berlin, in his place. This he did, but he
found the difficulties in the way of accomplishing any good for America
were very great, as Frederick the Great was under treaty obligations to Eng-
land, and was not bound in any way to America. The objects of his missio°n
were to establish communication between Prussia and America; to prevent
any further raising of German auxiliaries for the English army, and to gain
permission to purchase supplies. In these designs, Dr. Lee succeeded par-
tially; Frederick refused to receive him officially, and thus recognize the
United States, but he authorized his minister to conduct secret correspond-
ence with him. Wliile residing at Berlin, some one stole his private papers
from his room at the hotel; Dr. Lee immediately complained to the King.
An answer was returned by the King that the police would investigate the
affai^r, which resulted in the prompt return of the papers. At the request
of Frederick, the English government recalled their envoy, it being proven
that he v.-as concerned in the theft of the papers.
Dr. Lee continued to correspond with Baron Schulenberg, the Prussian
minister, after his return to Paris. In one letter, Schulenberg wrote:
"... The events of this war become every day more interesting. I
again ])ray you to commuuicate to me regularly all the news you may receive.
The King seems much interested in it. His Majesty wishes'that your efforts
may be crowned with success, and as I told you in mine of the 13th of
December, he will not hesitate to acknowledge your independency as soon
as France, which is more immediately interested in the issue of the contest,
shall set the example."
Shortly after the news of the surrender of General Burgoyne, at Sara-
toga, was received, the French court began negotiations for s^igning a treaty
with America; in these negotiations, Dr. Lee took a prominent part, and
was one of the signers of that treaty on the part of America. Soon after
this event, he was recalled, and John Adams was ai)pointed in his place.
This recall was due to violent dissensions between the commissioners;
especially between Dr. Lee on the one part, and Dr. Franklin and Sila^
A
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 26 1
Deane on the other.' The two latter accused Dr. Lee of being quarrelsome,
captious, and dishonest in his professed loyalty, etc., while he wrote to
his brother, R. H. Lee, under date of 9th of January, 1778, ''Things
are going on worse and worse every day among ourselves, and my situation
is more painful. I see in every department neglect, dissipation, and private
schemes. Being in trust here I am responsible for what I cannot prevent,
and these very men will probably be the instruments of having me one day
called to an account for their misdeeds." ^
Of this quarrel, much has been written, and in fact is still being written.
To give the reader a fair idea of Dr. Lee's part therein, a few quotations
from some of the most prominent and patriotic actors in those scenes are
given. It is certain that Dr. Lee held until his death the esteem and
friendship of the purest and ablest men of tlie Revolutionary period; the
friendship of such men should be ample vindication against slanders from
any source. His biograjiher has written:^ "A brief attempt has been
made to give the reader a general idea of the value of his services during
the period which elapsed from October, 177S, until the end of the year
1779. -^s '^'*'^C) shall read his correspondence during this time, will perceive
that it has been thought better to leave the reader to form a due estimate
of the zeal and disinterestedness of Mr. Lee's services from the materials
of this memoir, than from an elaborate effort of his biographer to pjresent
here a full statement of his lal.iors.
"Cireat and undenialile as has been the patriotism and services of Mr.
Lee, he did not escape the malicious insinuations and false charges of de-
tected peculation and conscious infidelity to public trust ; while he experi-
enced the inevitable consequence of an honest performance of duty, the
persecution of a bating faction. A short period of his life afforded another
instance, in addition to the many furnished by the history of all limes, that
' John Adams, after investigating on the spot the causes of these dissensions, wrote his iinpressions con-
cerning ihcm to James Lovell. On the one side he found ike capricious temper of an ardent patriot, Arthur
Lee, OD the other the egrejious vanity of Franklin played upon and controlled by Dear.c, who was even
more " than complaisant to interested adventurers." Writing from Passy, France, under date of the 20th
of February, 1779, Mr. .\dams said :
. . . "Our old incidental agent is an honest man, faithful and zealous in our cause. But there is an
acrimony in his temper, there is a jealojsy, there is an obstinacy, and a want of candor at times, and an
affectation of secrecy, the fruit of jealousy, which renders him disagreeable often to his friends, makes him
enemies, and gives them infinite advanta-:;c over him. That he has had great provocation here, I never
doubted, and since the appearance of the address- less than ever. . . ."
"On the other hand, there was a monopoly of reputation here, and an indecency in displaying it,
which did great injustice to the real merit of others, that I do not wonder was resented. There was an in-
dolence, there was a dissipation, which gave occasion of complaint, and there was complaisance to inte-
rested adventurers." {Li/i and Works 0/ John Adai/is, IX, 477.)
- Li/e 0/ Arthur Lee , II, 127.
» Ibid., I, 152.
■'II '^ 'v^ii ic
>r; ;■;. I r.
262 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
active virtue never jvisvjcl aloni^ its v.-hole career without detraction and
injustice. To posterity, and not to contemporaries, patriotism and virtue
have ever been most indebted for a just estimate of their claims to admira-
tion ai:id gratitude. . . ."
" It was of necessity that Congress employed many commercial agents ;
and an ecjual necessity oliliged them to authorize their conimissioners to
employ sub-agents to attend to details of business which it was impossible
for the commissioners themselves to transact. . . . Sucli is the desire for
gain, such is the sacra auri fames, tliat in almost every instance the agents
employed by Congress and by the commissioners, and the merchants with
whom contracts wore made, proved regardless of principle, and amassed
wealth for themselves at the expense of the United States. . . . Against
this al3use Mr. Lee unitonniy, actively, and with an uncompromising spirit,
opjjosed all the authorit}- and restraint he could exercise. This course
excited against him, as he was aware it would certainly do, the most intense
dislike. The most desirable object to these faithless agents was to procure
his dismis-ion from tlie public service, and his recall to the United States.
He was a subject of tlieir constant abuse and complaint. . . . INIr. Lee
continued during the |:>eric)d of two years, notwithstanding the malevolence
of the public defaulters, and the injuries they were constantly inflicting on
his feelings and character by their misrepresentations, to pursue, detect,
and denounce them. He acquainted Congress with their peculations, and
pledged himself to make good hi.^ charges against them. Upon his arrival
in .Vmerica. he rtdccvicd tJie pledge he had made to Congress, and proved to
their conviction, and to the satisfaction of the country, the defalcation of
many of the public agents. He broke down the hostile faction and
triumplied over its n.i ichinations."
Arthur Lee, on liis return to .-Vmcriea. presented to Congress a written
paper, vindicating his actions while abroad as their commissioner. Of this
paper, the opinions of several prominent members of Congress may fitly be
given here. Perhaps a fuller investigation would discover many more of the
siune fa\-orable tenor.
Jo,e[ih Read to R. \\. Lee: ' " Philadelphia, 15th April, 1780. Sir —
I am to acknowledge and thank you for your obliging favour of the 17th
February, enclosing Mr. Lee's vindication, which has been published in
our papers. To some collateral parts, there have been replies by Mr.
Conyngham and ^rr. Joseph Wharton. The multitude and enormity of
public aliuses one would have thought should have excited general atten-
>' -"n
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l:' h..'.:.!^ ;:•>
.1 -•)
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 263
tion and alarm ; but attempts to detect and prevent them have generally
been retorted in such a manner as almost to sanctify unfaithfulness and dis-
honesty. I cannot help considering it as one of the most unfavourable
symptoms, that, while we are all complaining against abuses, as soon as
the offender is detected, he finds friends and advocates even in the most
respectable assemblies. ..."
Thomas M'Kean to R. H. Lee:' "Philadelphia, 25th March, 17S0.
Dear Sir — Your much esteemed favour of the 15th of last month, with the
extracts from your much injured brother's letter to the President of Con-
gress, and the copy of Dr. Berkenhout's letter to yourself, enclosed, came
safe to hand. Next to th.e approbation of my own conscience, it has
always been my wish to obtain that of the wise and good, and I confess I
am happy in having yours. I flatter myself the time will shortly come
when the honest labourers in the cause of freedom and their country will
at least meet with the reward of being known ; and when, also, the double
dealing, artful pretenders will be discovered. There has been a virtuous
band in Congress from the beginning of the present contest, but they were
never so few, or so much opposed, as just after you and your good brother
left us. In the winter and spring of 1779. there was a cabal whose views
I could not fathom ; there were some possessed of restless spirits, and who
endeavoured to set member against member, and Congress against states,
particularly Pennsylvania and those of Xew England; and the states against
Congress. Every artifice was used to instil prejudice against all our for-
eign ministers and commissioners, particularly your brothers (Dr. Arthur
Lee and William Lee), and I really believe, if I had not in April last, gone
off the bench into Congress, in the face of a vote of the Assembly of Penn-
sylvania, that the}- would have been recalled without exception. . . .
When I rellect u[)on the assiduity, the zeal, the fidelity, the abilities and
patriotism of Dr. .\, Lee, I cannot help deploring his late, and reprobating
the ingratitude of Congress ; but, sir, it is with pleasure that I can assure
you, that he has many unshaken friends still remaining in that body, who
have never seen him, and who esteem him only for his public virtues. I
profess myself one of these, and he has at least my warmest thanks for his
substantial services rendered to my country. ..." .,
William Whi[)i)!e to R. H. Lee: ' " Philadelphia, iS September, 1779.
... I nuich approve of Dr. Lee's intention to come to this country, when
the Sjianish business is concluded. I think it necessary he should have a
fair opportunity of [Hitting to shame those base assassins, whose malice is
^ Lifec/R.H.Ue.W.i-,^.
a /^rV., II, 113,
I v.
•ov ; 1
264 ' LEE OF VIRGINIA.
wrou^'ht up to the highest pitch, by a consciousness of their own inferiority.
If lie lands in Xew Ilanipsliire, I am confident he will be received with the
respect due, and, in some measure, proportioned to his merit. I shall be
particularly happy in having an opportunity of manifesting my gratitude for
his services to America."
Samuel Adams to R. H. Lee : ^ " Philadeljihia, 15th January, 1781,
My dear Sir — Your second letter came to hand in due season. My much
esteemed friend, Mr. Arthur Lee, will take charge of this. I will say to
you, as I have said to my Boston friends, who were solicitous to know what
treatment he meets with here: the more I have conversed with him, the
more I have been confirmed in a good opinion of him, and lamented the
mistakes and prejudices of some men and the wickedness of others. His
enemies, I think, dare not openly attack his reputation or conduct, but the
whi5})ers of envy and malice have sometimes influence enough to prevent
the justice due to the virtuous citizen ; when this is the case, it affords a
symptom of the decay of public spirit, more threatening to the liberties of
a commonwealth than hosts of foreign enemies. ^Slonarchs have their
favorites, who serve as pinips on their honest subjects, but republics should
examine the conduct of their servants v. ith an impartial eye. And it dis-
covers the want of public virtue, as much to withhold their smiles from the
wise and good as to bestow them on the wicked and unfaithful. Mr. Lee,
as yet, had neither smiles nor frowns. I am still in liopes he will meet with
the rewards, which I am sure he would receive if he had returned a few years
ago; he will have them when the trustees of the pul)lic shall have fortitude
enough to be uninthienced by great names and characters, given to men of
base and dei:)raved minds. You will ask, when will that be, perhaps not in
this age ; but the historian will in some future time draw forth the proofs of
his patriotism, and unprejudiced posterity will acknowledge that Arthur Lee
has borne a great share in defending and establishing the liberties of
America. I say posterity, for I believe a wiser generation will enjoy the
fruits of patriots and heroes in the present day. . . ."
On a later occasion Mr. Adams paid this tribute to Dr. Lee : "As an
inhabitant of Massachusetts Bay, I should think myself ungrateful not to
esteem Arthur Lee most highly, for his voluntary services to that state, in
times of her greatest need, to the injury of his private interests and at great
risk of his life."
John Adams to Count de Yergennes : ^ " Passy, nth February, 1779.
^ Life of R. H.Lie, II, laS.
-Life cf Arthur L*i, I, 157-S.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 265
... It is my indispensable duty upon this occasion to inform your excel-
lency without cons'iltii:g either of my colleagues, that the honourable Arthur
Lee was as long ago as 1770 appointed by the house of representatives of
the Massachusetts Bay, of which I had then the honour to be a member,
their agent at the court of London, in the case of the death or absence of
Dr. Franklin. This honourable testimony was given to Mr. Lee by an
assembly in which he had no natural interest, on account of his inflexible
attachment to tlie American cause, and the abilities of which he had given
many proofs in its defence. From that time to the year 1774 he held a
constant correspondence with several of those gentlemen who stood fore-
most in the Massachusetts Bay against the innovations and illegal encroach-
ments of Great Britain. This correspondence I had the opportunity of
seeing; and I assure your excellency, from my own hioivledge, that it
breathed the most inflexible attachment to, and the most ardent zeal in the
cause of his countiy. From September 1774 until November 1777, I had
the honour to be in Congress, and the opportunity of seeing his letters to
Congress, to their committees and to individual members. Through the
ivJiolc 0/ both tJiose periods he communicated the most constant and certain in-
icUigence which was received from any individual within my knowledge.
And since I have had the honour of being joined with him here, I have ever
found in him the same fidelity and zeal ; and I have not a glimmering of
suspicion that he ever maintained an improper correspondence in England,
or held any conference or negotiation with anybody from thence, without
communicating it to your excellency or to his colleagues. I am confident
therefore that every insinuation and suspicion against him, of infidelity to the
United States, or to their engagements with his majesty, are false and ground-
less, and that they will assuredly be proved to be so.
"The two honourable brothers of Mr. Lee, who are members of Con-
gress, I have long and intiaiately known ; and of my own knowledge I can
say that no men have discovered more zeal in support of the sovereignty of
the United States, and in ]jromoting, from the beginning, a friendship and
an alliance with France. There is nothing of which I am more firmly per-
suaded than that every insinuation that is thrown out to the disadvantage of
the two Mr. Lees in Congress is groundless. . . ."
Writing to Samuel Cooper, John Adams expressed himself even more
forcibly.
" Passy, 2S February, 1779. Dear Sir, — Your letter by the Marquis
de Latayette I have received, and it contains so handsome a testimony to
the merit of that gallant nobleivian, as well as so many judicious observa-
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266 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ~ ' '
tions on 'other subjects, that I have ventured to permit it to be translated
and published.
" The complaint against the family of I,ees is a very extraordinary
thing indeed. I am no idolator of that famil\ or any other; but I believe
their greatest fault, is in having more men of merit in it than any other
family; and if that family fails the American cause, or grows unpopular
with their fellow-citizens, I know not what family or what person will stand
the test.
" There is reason, however, to be upon our guard against the power of
a family of so much merit; and if the complaint had only been, that one
of the family was minister at the Courts of Versailles and Madrid, another
at Vienna and Berlin, I would have joined in that with all my heart. But
this, to my certain knowledge, was not the fault of the family, luit partly
owing to accident, and partly because other gentlemen refused or declined
to undertake so dangerous a voyage and so difficult a service.
" If the complaint had been confined to want of figure, dignity and
'address, I should have left the discussion of such important questions to
those who think so much of them, and these might have determined whether
the complainers or complainees have the most to boast of in this kind.
" If the complaint had been confined to the subject of temper, I should
not have thought it worth while to have consider long, in order to deter-
mine which was the most inconvenient to the State, a little too much asperity,
or a little too much good nature, a little too much acid, or a little too
much oil.
" But when the complaint becomes so outrageous as to throw about the
world insinuations of infidelity and breach of trust against some of the most
faithful and inflexible men in the community, it becomes the cause of every
virtuous man, and such injured characters must be vindicated, or the State
undone." . . . {Life and Jl'orks of John Ada/ns, IX, 478-0;.)
John Dickin-on to Arthur Lee: "Kent, 30 March, 17S0. Sir —
. . . Do not imagine that the 'arts of your 'enemies' have erased from
my mind those favourable sentiments I have ever entertained of you since I
had the pleasure of your acquaintance. Vour friends can witness that
throughout the debates in Congress relating to you, I always bore open and
faithful testimony to the ability, zeal, courage, integrity, and diligence
manifested by } ou in the support of our cause ; and that, in confirmation
of what I said, I mentioned your correspondence with me in very danger-
ous circumstances, on points of the last importance. . . . But while I thus
interested myself in what concerned my friend, the conduct you object to
was influenced by two reasons, that, leaving the qualities of your head and
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 267
heart unira|)cached, would have led me to the same conclusion if you had
l)een my brother. The&e were, a coolness in the court of Versailles towards
you, and the difference with Dr. Franklin. When it was considered that
the connexion between the branches of the house of Bourbon is so intimate,
and that harmony between ministers who are to negotiate with them, espe-
cially on the same subject, and those most momentous ones, is so necessary,
all private regards gave way to the superior force of public obligations. To
wound and mourn, falls to the lot of more than ' Brutus.' " ^
That General Washington esteemed Dr. I^ee, and valued his communi-
cations, is evident from this note to hirn :
" Newburgh, 15th April, 1782. Dear Sir, — I have received your favour
of the 2nd instant, and thank you for the several articles of European in-
telligence contained in it. Permit me to solicit a continuation of such
advices as you may think interesting respecting the military or political
manceuvres of foreign powers. Such communications will not only be a
p'rivate gratification, but may produce public good ; as a perfect knovvledge
of these matters will enable n^.e to decide with more certainty and precision
on doubtful operatioris, wliich may be had in contemplation, than I could
possibly do without. With great esteem and regard I am my dear sir, your
most obedient, humble servant." ■
Whatever '-coolness" may have existed between Arthur Lee and the
court of Versailles, it did not prevent the King from paying him a very
handsome compliment, which he explained in this letter to the President of
Congress :
''Mr. President, — I return to you, in consequence of the resolution
with which I engaged in this cause, to see the liberty of my country estab-
lished, or to perish in her last struggle.
" When I took leave of the court of Versailles as one of your former
commissioners, his excellency the Count de Vergennes presented me with a
gold enamelled snuff-box, containing the picture of the king of France, set
with diamonds. The minister accompanied it with an assurance that lie
delivered it to me as a mark of the esteem of his sovereign. In my opinion
no period ever i^roduced a prince whose esteem was more valuable. His
portrait is engraven on my mind by the virtue and justice which form his
character ; and gold and jewels can add nothing to its lustre.
" This testimony of his majesty's esteem, however llattering to me, I
received with the resolution of holding it at your disposal only. I therefore
now beg leave, agreeably to what I think ray duty, to deposit it with Con-
^L>/<! 0/ Arthur Lff, II , 313, ct Sf</.
•^Itid., II, 171.
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268 I.F.E OF VIRGINIA.
gress ; (ox I esteem it of dangerous consequence, that any republican should
recehc inesents from a foreign prince or retain them without the knowledge
or consent of the republic. Still more dangerous and unbecoming is it to
measure the merits of those emplo}ed in the public service by them, or to
make tlieii cIiaracLevs depend on complimentary letters and praises from the
followers of the court v/here they have resided. It is the most sure of all
possible me'.hods, to make them subservient where they ought to be inde-
pendent, and lead them to substitute intrigue in the place of a due dis-
charge of their duty, or sacrifice the interests of their country to the in-
clinations of a foreign minister. If they do their duty to their country,
their constituents ough.t best to know it ; and the reward they are pleased
to bestow upon them, is ttie sole and sufficient recompense becoming the
dignity of a free ciiizen to possess."
In reply this report was made : ''In the Continental Congress : The
comniittce to whom -sverc referred the letter of Arthur Lee, Esq., etc., sub-
mit the following rc})ort: Arthur l,ee having deposited v/ith the President
of Congress a picture of the king of France, set with diamonds, and pre-
sented by the minister of that monarch on his taking leave of the court of
Versailles as a mark of his majesty's esteem ; and having intimated that as
the picture was presented to hiin in consequence of his having been a com-
missioner of Congress at that court, it did not become him to retain the
same witliout the express a])probation of Congress :
^'Resolved, That he be informed that Congress approves of his retain-
ing tiie picture,
^^ Resolved, That Mr. Lee be further informed, in answer to his letter,
that there is no particular charge agai)ist him before Congress, properly sup-
ported ; and that he be assured his recall was not intended to affix any kind
of censure on his character, or on his conduct abroad."
As a further mark of their confidence, Congress requested Dr. Lee to give
them the benefit of his knowledge of and viev/s upon foreign atTairs. He
rendered a strict and satisfactory account of all the funds expended by him.
After his return to Virginia, Dr. Lee was elected a deputy from Prince
William to the Virginia Assembly, and later, by the Assembly, to the gen-
eral Congress. He was one of the signers of the treaty for the cession of
the northwestern territory by \'irginia to the general government. In 17S4
he was ajipointed by Congress one of the commissioners to make a treaty
with the Indians o\\ the northwest tYontier ; Lafayette accompanied this
expedition. On their return Dr. Lee was appointed to the " board of treas-
ury," with Samuel Osgood and Walter Livingston, in which position he
continued from 17S4 to 17S9. In 17S6 he was chosen one of the commis-
» fl
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 269
sioners to revise the laws of Virginia. From the board of treasury he re-
tired to ^/rivaie life, and lived upon his estate in Middlesex county. During
the years spent in this retreat he carried on a very extensive correspondence
with many of the prominent persons to whom his official career had made
him known.
A writer has said: "The career of Arthur Lee, though undistinguished
by any connection with the great and prominent events, such as catch the
public eye, was one of the most important and useful to his country, which
the history of that day records. At a time when the new-born republic was
struggling for existence, and carrjn'ng on a war against a powerful country
with which the nations of Europe were at peace, and to which they were
bound by treaties, he represented his country with a zeal and efficiency
which accomplished the greatest and most valuable results. His mind seems
to have burned with a restless ardor, and he never rested in his attempts to
conciliate the courts of Eurojje in favor of America, and to induce them to
furnish her with material aid."
As a mark of their approbation for his services as their agent abroad, the
states of Massachusetts and A'irginia both granted him large tracts of land.
Harvard College conferred upon him the honorary degree of LE. D. ; the
Academy of American Arts and Sciences, and the American I'hilosophical
Society elected him an honorary member.
While upon the expedition to the western Indians, already mentioned,
Dr. Lee penned these thoughts, which are very interesting: *
"Ijeing this day indisposed, and obliged to keej) my room, I could not
avoid meditating on my future prospects. Should I settle and remain
among my friends in Virginia ; should I retire to Kentucky ; or return to
P^ngland, and enjoy in retirement there all that a country great in arts and
sciences affords. I entered life glowing with sentiments of liberty and
virtue. The seeds of the American Revolution vrere then sowing, in the
acts of Parliament for imposing taxes on the Colonies. I embraced the
opj;osition with a double degree of enthusiasm, which the love of liberty and
my coimtry inspired. I devoted myself to the cause from its very infancy.
From that time my life has been a continued scene of agitation and commo-
tion. No calm, no repose has refreshed me. To live in Virginia without a
wife is hardly practicable. But in Virginia boys and girls only marry, and
they marry from almost every motive but love. A man at thirty, a woman
at twenty, is old in Virginia; and with my sentiments of love and marriage
I am not likelv to find a wife there. . . .
1 Life 0/ Arthur Lee, II, 389, et se-;.
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270 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
" Shall I retire to Kentnckv, and try my fortune in a young country
and a rising region? The soil and climate are llrie. I have lands there,
v,hich would become very valu?])lc by residence ; and it would be easy,
with a little nionev, to aci-iuire a princely territorial proj^erty. Ambition
and avarice seem therefore to jt-in in their invitation. But after the scenes
through wliich I have pa.'ised such ari ambition seems /07a, and the avarice,
without an incentive. For whom should I sacrifice present enjoyment to
secure a future fortune ? He%\ho pursues aml^iticn in that countr}' must
expect no repose. He must lirst agitate its sr/(7>-afu'u and indclK-ndencc,
then control the \ariou5 turbulciU spirits which are gathered there from
different States: h.e must court those v.-hose lives and manners are little re-
moved from those of savages. He must be in -perijetual action, as nothing
else can promote his purposes, or e\en prevent him from repining at the
loss of everything that can engage the cultivaiod Uiind or gratify the
serises. He must submit to the v,retched accoii'.mod.'in'ons vdiich an almost
savage country can atTord ; and not only be content v^-ithout luxuries, but
even without the necessaries of lite. "'iVhat is tlieie then that can tempt a
sober man, in m}" situation, to Kentucky?
"A single mail, intent upon gratifying his taste, might accomplish this
purj)ose with great certainty, and at a moderate expense, in London. Se-
cure of ^600 a year, he might live in style perfectly genteel, and see and
hear everything worth seeing and hearing. IVut then he must live for him-
self only. He must forget that he har> relations in another land, /..r*?/- and
dear, whom he has sacrificed forever. All the ch.aritics of blood and coun-
try must be forgotten. His hours of retirement must be sad and solitary.
Should ill-health overtake him, he must not c>nly be cut olT from the enjoy-
ments he promised himself, but he must expect no tender hand to soothe his
l)illov.-, no sympathising soul to mitigate with nameless gentle oflices the
anguish of disease, and minister to the tro'.il)k-d and desponding mind.
And why indeed should he, who lives for himself only, expect that society
will feci for him, or furnish him with aid or solace, be}ond the influence of
his money ?
"Those, too, with whom I was immediately connected in friendship
and politics, when a fellow-suljject, would regard me now with cold in-
difference, if not with aversion. Many would consider me as having con-
tributed to wounLi and dishonor that country whicli is the dearest object to
every good Englishman. Could I be restored to tlie situation that I enjoyed
before the Revolution, unless the tun^ilt of p-olitical commotion may have
unparadised it, I might be happv. That is. as happy as man without
domestic cares, domestic anxiety, and domestic love, could be. I was
t'.^;'l
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Vi. ii.'i ^f Jon t
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 271
placed in chamliers in the Temple, \\hich looked into a delightful little
garden on the Thames, of which 1 had the key ; I could go in and out at
all hours, and have what company I pleased, without being questioned or
overlooked. I v.as near the Royal Society, of which I was a fellow, where,
ever}' week, whatever was new and ingenious in literature was communi-
cated. Not far from me was the hall of the Society of Arts and Agriculture,
of which I was an honorary member, and where I had access to all the new
discoveries in arts, agriculture, and mechanics.
"The playhouses and the opera were equally convenient, where I
cor.hJ select the opportunity of seeing the best tragedies and comedies
reprcbcnted, and of hearing the nnost exquisite niusic. I was a subscriber
to Bach's and Abel's concert, where the most masterly performers of the
world (Bach, Abel, Fishar, Tassot, Ponto, and Crosdal), played to a most
polite and fashionable audience, in one of the most elegant concert rooms in
th::; world. In tlie field of politics, from the politician in the cider-cellar
to t!ie peer in his palace, I had access and influence. At the Bill of Rights,
the city of Loiidon, the P!last India House, and with the opposition in both
houses, I was of some consideration. Aiiiong my particular friends, to
whom I always had access, were Lord Shelburne, Mr. Downing, Col. Barre,
I\ir. Wilkes, Serieant Glynn, and several others. I v/as so vreil with several
of the nobility and gentry that I could spend all my leisure time at their
coriutry seats. At Bath I had a very extensive acquaintance; and there is
not in the world a more agreeable place to one so circum>tanced. As one
of the law, I enjoyed the protection and distinction of that body, with the
prospect of rising to place and ])rofit, which all of that body, who have
moderate abilities, enjoy. So circuuistanced, nothing but the peculiar and
extraordinary crisis of the times prevented me from being entirely happy,
and pursuing the fortune which sat with golden plumes within my reach.
But everything was absorbed in the great contest which I .saw fast approach-
ing ; and which soon called upon me to quit London, and take an open
part in the Revolution, as a representative of the United States at the court
of France."
Perhaps nothing will convey a clearer idea of the character of Arthur
l,ee than some of his letters written to his intimate friends or near relations.
In such a correspondence, he appears to have I'rankly spoken his inmost
thoughts. It is believed that few of these letters have ever been in print.
; , To Richard Henry Lee. ,
"Glasgow, 21 October, 1761. My dear Brother, In pursuance of my
Husbandry Scheme, I am now in Glasgow. I find the Drill Plow, as used
w.f
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272 LEE OF VIRGINIA. "
for sowing wheat, will not answer your Purpose, but I have conceived one
which I think may be ajiplicable to your Grain, as this is to 'Wheat. I
communicated the Plan to the mechanical Gentleman whh whom I live,
and received his approbation. But I shall put it in i^iractice,, before I trouble
you any further with it, for I am sensible that ideal Machines are worked
with much more e;ise than real ones.
"I silent all yesterday with Mr. Smyth, Author of tiK- moral senti-
ments, who is a very agreeable companion, and am this day to go with him
to the Farmer I mentioned in a former letter ; who has ]narsued the new
Husbandry with such success. This Town is by for su|icrior to any in
Scotland, in Regularity, Beauty and Magnificence; the Inhabitants are
mostly Traders in Tobacco and are said to import J/3 of the whole produce
of America. Their strict attention to Business has rendered them an
uncivil, unsocial People, and utterly strangers to Politeness, so that the
Gentlemen of the Colledge are the only sociable People in Town.
" The River Clyde runs smoothly by the Town, and is navigable for
small Craft. They have many manuf:ictories, wh.ich they carry 011 with
success. 1 saw the shattered ruins of a Palace, which was once the Resi-
dence of the Arch Bishop of Glasgow, and near it stands an old Cathedrall
of vast Magnitude. The Colledge has lately built a fine Astronomical
Observatory, which is well iurnished with the necessary instruments, by the
best Makers.
'"' I have been really unfortunate in not finding the farming Gentleman
at home ; I had only the opportunity of viev-ing his grounds and examining
the Instruments with which he tills them. I was satisfied of the Truth of
what I had heard, that he had drawn ten yearly crops from the same Field,
cultivated agreeably to the Principles of the nevN- Husbandry, without the
least assistance of Manure of any kind, and that every succeeding crop had
excelled its Predecessor. I saw the same Field bearing its eleventh Crop,
and from one Acre of this, he last year received 56 Bushels of wheat; from
this Day's Observation and Intelligence, I am convinced, of which indeed
I wanted no conviction, that the new Husbandry is the most rational
and profitable method. In a former Letter, I mentioned my opinion that
ploughing between the Rows of your Tobacco would be of infinite advan-
tage to it, but I did not observe that this was the most effectual means of
destroying the weeds ; but this must be the consequence of many years
Culture, which will almost utterly eradicate and destroy them ; but at first
they flourish with much more strength and vigour, so that the only method
of succeeding is to persevere in it for some jears.
"I have had a strong })roof of the unsociable Disposition of the
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 273
Inhabitants here ; for, the' I made a point of getting acquainted with
some of the Merchants, so as to settle some sure method of Correspondence
with you, I have not been able to accorajilish it ; so that Me must still
continue the same uncertain manner of Corresponding. I would only
beg you to write always by the Glasgow ships, as by others the Letters
are long before they reach me, and are then burdened with Intolerable
Charges.
'<The pacific Disposition of the new ministry is so much confided in
that the Stocks rose considerably, since their appointment, in Expectation
of an immediate peace. Mi. Pitt's Acceptance of a Pension has given a
mortal stab to his Reputation. It pleases his Enemies to have such a fair
Opportunity of aspersing his character with the most severe Reflections,
whilst his Friends are dejected, and see with sorrow their high Expectations
of his Integrity and disinterested patriot Spirit uttterly deceived. Forget
not to remember me to all witli you and believe me to be, as I really am,
my dear Brother, Yours most affectionately."
To ^Villiam I.ee.
" Bristol Wells, 17 June, 1769. Dear lirother, Tho' I have delayed
thanking you for your favour from Ipswich, yet I did not neglect the
commands it contained ; but executed them immediately as directed.
Capt. Walker I had before seen and informed of what you desired.
" I am happy to hear you are well and much pleased with your situa-
tion, particularly Mrs. Lee. To please the wife is all in all; 'tis the hus-
band's duty to labour at this with all his mind, soul, and strength. A'nt I
a good creature ?itrs. Lee ? for preaching this ".vholsome doctrine ? I hope
neither your approbation of me nor your situation fmd any change. Three
whole days was Eve saLisf)d with Paradise, and without flattery, I believe
her daughters are equally content. Much more could I say, with truth, in
your praise, fair daughter of Eve, but you. v.ould call me flatterer, and I de-
sist. I lay my life now you will say, one can never make out my meaning.
Now then I'll be explicit. Have you found out for me the fair one you
promised ? young, innocent, accomplished, sweet-tempered, well-bred,
playful and rich ?
Excelld by none, equall'd hy few,
Or in a .word, resembling you.
"But by all means let her hate tkattery ; for as I abominate it myself,
I could not be offering this forced incense to the goddess I ador'd. Be-
sides you know, my dear Mrs. Lee, that all sensible and pretty Ladies
iS
. "to
2 74 I'EE OF VIRGINIA.
regard it as odious and hateful. Go find out the fair one that's form'd on
my plan and I'll love her forever — I mean if I can. This forever is a fine
thing, if it would but last.
"AVell, best to be serious and grave too, for a young lady told me at
the Asseuil'ly la^t night, that I must put on a gieat wig ; pray now by the
bye (for had I gone strait on I should have been at Bristol Wells) is there
any probability she meant to typify matrimony, under this same figure of a
great wig? Nay don't laugh, 'tis a serious matter, for if she did, 'tis meet
that I answer it ; not by putting it on, I assure you, for I have a notion it
would [irove rather v.-arm, especially in the summer months. A light wig
or a night cap which one can throw on or off at pleasure, seems belter
accommodated to feverish heads. Now (as I shou'd have said before, had I
not been interrupted by this matrimonial wig, of which I conceive, en pas-
sant, Tristram Shandy would ha^■e made a good joke. But the Ladies never
touch Tristram Shandy, his no:;e was so long, he frightened them ; not one,
ho\vevcr desirous, had the courage to approach it), I am safe at Bristol
Wells, snug in a garret, which is the manner in which they treat all new
Comers, and you are exalted by descen.ding to a better berth. This bull in
practice, is perhaps imported from Ireland ; with which you know there is
a great intercourse from here. 1 arrived on Saturday evening only, there-
fore, cannot yet form any judgement of the place. There is not much
company, but more is expected ; the height of the season is not 'till July.
I have touched t^s'o guineas already since I came here 3 I mean in paying
my subscription for the rooms. I must be very particular, Mrs. Lee so
often quarrels with rac about the ambiguity of my expression.
" I^Irs. Dinwiddle and Family are well and offer up their warmest
wishes for Mrs. Lee's happiness. Ten to one but I shall occasion another
n)isapprehension, yon will imagine I h^ive seen or heard of them ; but that
will be a mistake, not mine indeed, for I know better. They are neither at
the Wells nor at Clifton and- as I only passed thro' Bath, I had not an
opportunity of inquiring after them.
"Take care of indulging too much in Fish and Flesh; it is sometime
before the Lungs recover their proper vigour after such a shock as yours
have lately undergone. Oppressing theni suddenly, as a precipitate return
to such diet will do, may endanger the fixing imperceptibly an obstruction
in them detrimental if not destructive. I can assure Mrs. Lee too, that it
is not the best way of accomplishing, what is every good Wife's most earnest
wish, the renewal of her husband's strength.
*' Farewell, my blessing season these things in you."
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. .'275
To Richard Henry Lee.
'Mjristol-Wells, 4th August, 1769. 'Sly dear Brother, — I am sorry you
have so much reason to complain of my neglect ; for which I must rely on
your goodness to pardon me. My letters hy Johnston brought me an ac-
count of your marriage ; on which I give you and Mrs. Lee joy with all
my heart. The uniun which crowns a mutual affection long tried, promises
the most permanent felicity; and I hope every succeeding moon will find
you equally happy with the first. I am now the only unhappy or single
person of the family ; nor have I any prospect of being otherwise. I
have spent this season at the Bristol Wells in i)ursuit of practice and to
make acquaintances, and shall remain the winter at Bath with the same
views. In the latter it is easy to succeed, in the first not quite so easy
here as at Williamsburg. Perseverance, of which unhappily I have very
little, is absolutely requisite to accomplish this business. I often feel so
home sick that I cannot bear the thoughts of living forever from you ;
so that if I am not very short lived I feel I must make another trip to see
you.
" Contrasted with that of this country, how illustriously eminent does
the ])atriotic conduct of Virginia appear. I had my fears, my an.xieties
about \'irginia, but my countrymen have fulfilled my most sanguine wishes
and acquired an honour which can never be tarnished. Here the spirit of
liberty is ver}' languid, and all attempts to rouse it meet with very little
success. Corruption has spread its baneful influence so universally, that
this country seems now to be nearly in that state in which Jugurtha found
Rome when he exclaimed,
' O 7^cnalevi nrbem, et cito periturain, si einptoreiii invenies?
" However, the utmost endeavours are used to awaken a proper resent-
ment of the atrocious injuries which have been oflered to the constitution.
And though I believe they will obtain petitions enough to awe the ministry,
yet I do not hojie to see all the grievances fully redressed, and the authors
of them brought to condign punishment. With respect to us the ministry
speak in a conciliating tone, but they are so void of all virtue that no
credit is due to them, especially as their principles are most notoriously
arbitrary. Persevere in the plan of frugality and industry, encourage and
confirm a spirit never to submit or yield, and }ou will compel them to be
just — Jhc iibi artt's, hiec anna; and may heaven render them invincible.
The tow n of Bristol, which is very near the wells, is immersed in the turtle
and venison feasting, and therefore seems to apprehenci little from the revo-
n 1 vf •,,.'_ > '
i '. // / )l!
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276 LF.E OF VIRGINIA. ■■ . 7
lutions you have made ; but they will feel presently, and then I will answer
for thoir justice being awakened, and their feeling how cruel it is to oppress
us. We have much company here, besides invalids, dancing, card playing
every day, so that time passes agreeably enough though idly. My Lord
Bute having lately arrived from abroad, it is expected his advice will make
some change in administration ; but from so imptu'C a fountain no good can
be expected. The INTississippi scheme must lie dormant till Lord Hills-
borough is removed, for he will never suffer it to be executed."
To John Hopkins, Esqr., Richmond, Va.
''New York, 13 June, 1786. Dear Sir, I this day received your favour
of the 3rd. I shall attend to your desire of having leave of absence. But
to pay your salary here is an absolute impossibility, not one State in the
Union having remitted one dollar to the Treasury for two months past, nor
is any one likely to do it. This, together with anticipations already made
on the Treasury, precludes any hope of its being able to furnish, for the
next quarter, the salaries of those immediately about Congress, including
the President's household. And, if any money is obtained for this pur-
pose, it will be from this State only. There never was so total desertion of .
federal support as has been for sometime past.
"This situation makes it particularly distressing to me, that neither
the Certificates ncr Indents have produced any Cash, of which I am propor-
tionally more in want, as this place is more expensive than Virginia, and
strangers have very little credit. As to Pierce's notes, if they can be ex-
changed for Militar)' Certificates drawing interest in the state, I should wish
them to be so disposed of. If Mr. Duncomb should come to this place before
you, I entreat you to send me what money you can collect on the Indents
by him for I am much in want of it."
To his nephew, Thomas Lee Shi'ppen.
"New York, i March, 17S6. My dear Tom. You reason like Bacchus
himself upon the superiority of Ch. J. Blake's system of study to that of
C. J. Coke ! But there is a time for all things. I rejoice that you have
translated yourself to the sober regions of Philadelphia. ... I want
your ojiinion of the couduct of a neiihew of mine, v.ho shall be nameless.
You must know that I left some clothing and other things in a tnmk at his
father's house, which this same nephew is charged with having tumbled out
and packed away, God knows where, taking the trunk for his own use.
Was this handsomelv done? Your Father maintains towards me tlw most
.1.1 ■>,"
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION, 277
solemn silence. What am I to augur from it? The silence of great poli-
ticians is always ominous !
"As to Cousin Frankey's demand, I can answer it in a few words. I
opposed the Congressional Claims, four years ago, as dangerous innovations,
without giving the States an opportur.ity in peace of supporting federal
demands, conformably to the confederation. The trial has been made,
and the States have proved shamefully defective. So that they have brought
it to a question now whether we shall continue a confederate nation or not.
I still think the system is not good ; but it is better than a dishonest bank-
ruptcy— better than that we should be degraded from the rank of Nations —
better than that we should violate all public faith, and much better than
that we should see hostile Squadrons before our Towns, demanding, with
bitter and merited reproaches of violated faith, a payment of our just debts
and fulfilment of solemn engagements."
"To Thomas Lee Shippen, Esqr., No. 3 Church-yard Court, Inner
Temple, London.
'•New York, 2 January, 17S7. My dear Nephew, Many happy New
Years to you. The Packet is arrived but no letter from you, which I
much lament. Yours by Mr. Voss came safely. I am afraid that our own
conduct will soon render us objects of pity and contempt, instead of resent-
ment. Great, no doulu u ill be the triumph, where you are, when they see
us sacrilegiously pulling down the glorious name we had raised among the
nations of the Earth. The formidable insurrections in the State [of Massa-
chusetts] where we supposed government was best established, and the
general reluctance in them all to support the federal government with eftect,
banishes all hope of our maintaining the dignity of national character which
we had acquired. I am in doubt whether a majority cf the States will con-
cur with Virginia in sending Delegates to a National Convention. Most of
them seem to think that the proposition for amending the Constitution, and
the mode, should originate with Congress, and be proposed to the States.
Diversity of opinion will leave us where we were. Li this situation of
inaction and incertitude, it requires more sagacity in political events than I
possess to determine what will be the issue. It is unpleasing to conjecture
even, because conjecture covers it with confusion, shame and horror to us
as a Nation.
" I wish you to enquire whether Lands in the Province of Maine or in
Kentucky will sell in London. I have a grant in the former of excellent
Land, six thousand acres, for which I would take 5^-. sterling per acre ; and
10,000 in Kentucky at the same price. The titles are unquestionable, and
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ayS t.EE OF VfRGINIA.
certainly to one that would provide for young children, no plan can be
more eligible. I would engage to furnish the original Patents to any Agents
here on the deposit of the money in a l^anker's hands in London, subject
to my disposal, when such agent's certificate of the original patent and deed
from me, are delivered to him, for the purchasers.
"We have no Congress, at present, nor any certainty of one. I for-
ward you Letters from Phil'a. which will fuinish you all the news there.
Remember me to all inquiring friends, and do not forget me to Mrs. Adams
and Mrs. Smith and their husbands. It is most true that I have not written
to Mr. and Mrs. Paradise ; but it is not so, that I do not remember them
aftectionately, and of this, I beg you will assure them. I am from my
situation more a stranger to their affairs in Yi)ginia than they are; other-
wise 1 should have written to them on that sul.^ject."
To SAME, WITH SAME ADDRESS.
"2 May, 1787. Your favours of 19th Jany., 6th Feby., and 6th
March, are all before me. Isly absence in A'irginia accumulated them for
one reading. I had before attended to the expense of postage and there-
fore forwarded some letters by a private ship instead of the Packer.
This and not inclosing is all that can be done, l)ecause tlie Captains are
not only enjoined by Law, but tempted by receiving id. on each letter to
commit the Letters they bring to the post at the first port. It is therefore
to particular friends only that they will do the favour of delivering letters
or packets in London. 1 could not have agreed in the opinion that ISIr.
Pitt's administration would not survive tins jtarliament. By the best
accounts his abilities and integrity deserve jiermanency, and will have it
unless royal jealousy, which is the intolerable principle of his Master, and
has been the misfortune of tlie present reign, should take alarm and de-
termine his fall. ]l'In:fi that \\\\\ happen is not calculable upon the princi-
ples of reason ; but when it does, Mr. Pitt will tall the victim of a narrow
and even envious sentiment in the royal breast, however great his abilities
may be or unblemished his administration. In the duplicity and littleness
of the King's mind, courtiers and anti-courtiers all agree. The ministers,
therefore, who hang on this Prince's favour are in an eminent degree ex-
posed to those sudden court frosts which ni}^ their honours, e\'en in their
fullest bloom.
" I am sorry that your ob.servation on the minority of the jjeople are not
graced with that liberality which 1 wished, ^\'e are certainly ourselves the
chief cause of that asperity which you have observed in their sentiments and
conduct towards us. We have not conducted ourselves with that modesty
.» ;i
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STR.\TFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 279
wliich manifests true dignity; we have not managed the wounded spirit of
a great nation. But we have aggravated their mortification by violence and
insolence and vain boasting. At the same time, we exposed ourselves to their
contempt by the dishonesty of our conduct, the dissensions of our Councils,
and the v/eakness of our governments. Is it their fault that v.e have ren-
dered ourselves at once hated and contemptible? Is it surprising that they
shouM seize the commercial advantages which our intolerance of all wise
and honest regulations gave them; when we had vainly threatened the ex-
termination of their commerce and boasted of our superiority? We had
no right to expect commercial favours from them, when our behaviour was
by no means calculated to obtain as a favour what we could not demand
as a right. We have not considered that v/e are an infant nation and re-
quired nursing ; tliat our governments were yet experimental, unknit and
unestablished, and therefore requiring much wisdom and temper in man-
agement, both at home and abroad. We have sported with our national
character as children do v.ith baubles ; and have nearly inclined the world
to believe that we are incapable of self government. All this is our own
fault, and we must not expect that a nation we have so sorely v/ounded will
see it without rejoicing, and not take advantage of our follies.
"Lord Lansdov.ne says it is not his fault if he does not see you fre-
quently; ' that you may depend on his attention and services.' Where he
forms an attachment, he is constant in his friendship. \Vhat he most ad-
mires is Uianliness of character. You will, I hope, visit him often and culti-
vate his good opinion. But I warn you that a little more liberality in your
sentiments of the government and people of England will not hurt you in
his estimation. Nor, indeed, do I think it will be any impeachment of
your candour and judgment. I l:>eg you will always assure his Lordship) of
my unalterable respect, and that you will not forget to remember me to his
son, Lord Wycombe. I am mistaken if he does not possess a mind of
great nol)leness and worth. His age and yours are more likely to assimilate
into friendship than th.at of his Father, and therefore you will permit me
to wish that you would be very attentive to him. There is hardly anything
more lovely than friendship formed in youth between worthy minds. It is
always a pleasing reflection thro' life and often extremely useful.
'•'It is painful to me to write on the people and politics of the U. S.
The utmost that charity can say is tr.at they do not improve. The same
unprincipled pursuit of private speculations, the same sacrifice of the public
honour and interests to the selfish objects of individuals, the same antipathy
in the dishonest to the payment of public and private [debts?], the same
open and sometimes studied violation of their faith pledged in the confed-
eration by their respective Assensb'.ies. The most banef;! of ail luxuries,
■w'. -^ ):!r b :
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28o LEE OF VIRGINIA.
the luxury of the common people, who are more extravagant than any peo-
ple in the world of tlie same rank. All those conspire the dissolution of
government, the corruption of manners, the insecurity of property and the
destruction of national faith, character and confidence.
" P'or remedy of these c^'ils the Convention is now meeting in Philadel-
phia. Gcn'l Washington, Afr. Henry, your Uncle R. H. Lee have refused
to attend it. I do not hope anything from this meeting ; because, in fact,
the evil is rooted in the very Asseml)lies, who are to confirm the acts of the
Convention. This renders it too probable that a plan of dignity and effect
will not even be proposed, and, if proposed, will not be accepted. It is
plain to me that what is doing is tempering with the disease, deceiving the
people and endangeiing some violent commotion. It is most manifest that
we have not the public virtue and private temperance which are necessary
to the establishment at least of free Republics ; but that we have courage,
enterprise, and high-mindedncss to make a great and even illustrious people
under one sovereignty, consisting of an Imperial head, a Senate for life and
an elective house of Commons. All things short of this appears to me the
frippery of little politicians, whose minds are incapable of deep reflection
and bold execution."
To SAME.
" 29 May. Since I wrote the above, Mr. Adams' defense of the Con-
stitution of America has fallen into my hands. The work is anything but
what the title imports, because there is not one State in the Union whose
Constitution is balanced as his Book proves they ought to be. It is very
nnich read and will do a great deal of good. Had M. Turgot rCvad a single
chapter in Bulstrode Whitelock on Parliament, he would have been con-
vinced that the balance in the English Constitution is essential to the
preservation and pros[)crity of it, and it would have weaned him from his
preference to Franklin's detective Bantling. Mr. Adams has fully illus-
trated Whitelock's balance, and in his preference for the English Constitu-
tion, I do most heartily cor.cur. In your letter by the Bishop and that by
Mr. Randall, you mentioned having sent packets of pamphlets and papers
to me. But I have neither received any such, nor with all my inquiry
can I learn anything of them. Yr. sister writes me that the Millinery,
which she supposes you sent her by Mr. Randall, is not received. There
seems to be some equivoque in all this."
To SAME.
" 4th June. I am to thank you for yours of 6th April, by Mr. Harri-
son who was very careful of all you sent. Reynolds is truly an Attorney,
therefore put no confidence in him. The unpopularity of Mr. Adams gives
\.r
\, II rv '.;;: ,,v
■■A<
Oi,' ■ "' Tr-.l-
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 281
ine pain. I am afraid he has appeared too much to associate with men in
opposition to the government, which may ha\e soured the minds of the
King and his Ministers. At the same time I am much incHncd to believe
that both these personages are inimical to America, and therefore must hate
a man of Mr. .\dams' integrity and real patriotism. I shall endeavour to
improve by the rebuke of Mr. Atlams, and I sincerely pray that the judg-
ment I have formed of our fellow citizens and our affairs may be altogether
unfounded.
"Ten States are now represented in Convention, and in general, very
well represented. Gen'l Washington, having altered his mind, attended
and is its President; your Uncle R. H., would not attend because, being a
member of the Congress, who are to receive nev/ powers and to determine
upon the Acts of the Convention, he thought there v.-as manifest impropriety
in it; and that it would be a very popular argimient v/ith the anti-federalist
men in the several Assemblies against ratifying the Acts of the Convention.
There are however several members of Congress attending in Convention,
and I wish it may not have the consequence my Brother apprehends.
"As yet the Convention has done nothing iriaterial. Many and vari-
ous are the jilans of different members. Some are for two estates, executive
and legislative, with a negative on the acts of the several legislatures. Some
for adding an Executive to the present Congress. Others are for giving
more powers to Congress ; others for changing the Cojistitulion of Con-
gress, as well as adding powers, and some are for not giving any additional
powers. Amendment, by some additional powers, and the alteration of
others, seenis to have been the ol)ject of the appointment and no more will
the Assemblies giant at present. But, if I can effect it, there shall be a
Convention ever)' 5 years, so that by gradual amendments we may get right
at last. For I do not expect that a total reforniation would be adopted, and
by attempting too much, at once, we may lose all. llie Democracy have
such prevalence that great management is necessary to reduce them to order
and establish a proper balance. I do not know the exact number of Emi-
grants to Pennsylvania, but it has certainly becii very great.
"Since the election of Mr. Hancock as Gov'r the Insurgents have
again put themselves in motion and things wear an alarming aspect. How
he will act is yet to be seen, lint I apprehend he will temjier with them
'till they have augmented their force, so as to raise a convulsion in the
State, that will shake him like a catter-pillar from the tree he is destroying.
It seems to me that this man's unbounded vanit}' and extravagance, accom-
panied with both want of sense and principle, is the curse of tliat happy
State. He is supported, as I am told, by Sullivan, Hitchborne, and Mor-
, ; V!'.! .'" ' •'' ''Hid;:
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282 LEE OF VIRGINIA. .. • - .
ton, three Lawyers of daring character and not too squeamish conscience.
The ingratitude of the people to Mr. Bowdoin is among the sins which their
own calamities will make them repent of.
" I will send you some newspapers by Carper or any other private
opportunity that I can find. By that time perhaps something of conse-
quence may transpire from the Convention. They have determined not to
open their doors. You see how I have economised my paper. U the Vene-
tian Count is not an impostor, Miss is very well off.
" 6 Jany. Nothing of any consequence has occurred since the last
date, and the mail closes in a few hours, therefore I have only, my dear
Nephew, to bid you most cordially Adieu."
'*To Thomas Lee Shippen, Esqr., No. 4, New College, Oxford." Post-
mark, " New York, ist. August, 17S7."
" I received your favour of the 6th ult., my dear Nephew, but not the
Magazines &:c. Probably ]Mr. Joy sent it on to your father, for he told me
he had none for me. It surprises me that you should complain of not
having heard from rne for some time. I have written once a month by the
Packet or by some private ship, so that 1 nmst fear that all of my letters
have miscarried. Mr. Richard Penn carried many letters to you by the
last Packet. Our affairs rest much as they were. Nothing material escapes
of what passes in the Convention. Much is ex])ected from the deliberation
of their debates, and it is hoped that something will at last be produced
worthy of such a Body and of such mature discussion. The present pos-
sessors of State powers are in general against any alteration. But the
People, at large, appear anxious for change and more eftlcient general
Government. And this sentiment, I think, must at last prevail. The
Science of Government is no trifling matter. It requires education and
experience, it requires the habits of great worlds and of great men,
it requires the leisure which independent fortune gives and the elevation of
mind, which birth and rank impart. Without these, you might as well
attempt to make sevres china out of couimon earth as Statesmen and Poli-
ticians out of men bred and born in the sordid occurrences of common life.
This is an evil remediable, indeed, by time, and in that we must put our
trust. In the interim, if we have the prudence to be sure we can walk be-
fore we attempt to run ; we may escape the shame and injury of falling.
By slow degrees the liberal arts were won, and Hercules grew strong. The
mighty oak was first an humble plant, and some Shei^herd's cottages swelled by
long and gradual steps into Imperial Rome, the nurse of Heroes, the delight
of the Gods. By the same gradual progress must we arrive at imperialism.
■ r ■; i
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 283
" Not, my dear Nephew, not by that vanity and pride of opinion which
seem to possess us merely, and which, I confess, [)uts me too much in mind
of the frog in the fable. \Vhat ideas must that Governor have had of the
character of sovercii^n states and of the dignity of the diplomatic corps,
who would reconmicud such an animal as Mr. Lamb to be a negotiator of
treaties, and who would have believed it possible that such a creature
should have visited Europe and Africa as a Minister tYom the United States
of America. In all ])robability had he missed this appointment, the same
sage Governor would have recommended him to be the Skipper of a New
England schooner.
'' This is an odious subject to think on, and I wish it was the only one
of that complexion. My sentiments on these matters will be condemned
by the very pride I have censured, for pride and dignity are seldom allied.
But what I mean by it is, that instead of being proud in words, we should
be dignified in acts, not vain in speculation but prudent in conduct.
"How did it happen that you said nothing about our noble relation,
when you enclosed his letter? Is he assuredly noble, with ^^2,000 per
annum, and if so what could be the Father's ol)jection ? Mr. Wilkes is a
man of high ])olilical discernment. He must therefore see with disappoint-
ment and anxiety the falling off of those whose virtue he always professed
to admire, and in whose success he so avowedly interested himself I beg
you will remem.ber me to him most affectionately. It pleases me nnich that
Lord Lansdowne corresponds with you. I again exhort you to cultivate
his friendship and that of Lord Shelburne. Remember me to them both,
particularly to Lord Lansdowne. ^Vhene\er the Convention shall have
settled and announced their plan for our future government, I shall write
to him. What are his politics touching Hastings and Holland?"
" 3oih July. The Convention has adjourned for ten days, leaving Gov.
Randolph, Mr. Rutledge, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. ^N'ilson and Mr. Gorman a
committee to arrange what has been agreed upon for the final decision of
the whole. It is therefore to be conjectured that we shall soon begratif3-ed
with the plan they mean to recommend. ..."
" ist August. I waited to see whether the post would bring any letters
from our friends in Phil'a, but it has not. Your Uncle Richard is here,
lives with me, and is in better health than I have seen him since I came to
America. He remembers and loves you. I answered Count Barziza's let-
ter, but directed it to Mr. Paradise^ for want of his address. We shall cer-
* Lucy Ludwell, sister of M.-s. WiHi.ini Lee, and second daughter of Philip Ludwell and Frances
Grymcs, his wife, nmrricd, in 1769, John J'aradiie, of London; their daughter, also called Lucy Ludwell
(born about 1770), married, in 17S7, Count Barziza, a Venetian nobleman ; she died in August, 1800, and
left two sons.
fl
284 LEE OK VIRGINIA. . - -
tainly receive Mrs. Paradise with cordial love whenever she comes, which I
do not expect will hapjien ; however much she may talk of it. Give my
love to them, if }'0i'. please. A'our Father talked of your travelling for a
year ; write me your plan, in yotir next, that I may assist you with recom-
mendations. Remember me to Dr. Price, if you see him. I will write him
by the next Packet. Adieu."
Dr. Arthur Lee'.s will was recorded in the county court of Middlesex,
at the court-house of Urbanua, on December 24lh, 1792, and Richard
Henry I.ee qualif.ed as executor :
I, Arthur Lee of LutiaJosvii ia the county of Middlesex, being of Sound and disposing
mind, do make this my last will and testaineiit, revoking all others : this twenty seventh day
of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety two.
1st My will is, that all of my just debts Le paid, and that my Remains be interred in
the N'ault of my dear parents ; unless I should die at an inconvenient distance.
2nd I give to my most dear brother Richard Henry Lee, for his life only all my lands
and Negroes, houses, Stocks and furniture, except as hereafter shall be excepted, in the
county of Middlesex.
3rd I give the said lands, Iiouses, Airnilin-e, Negroes and Stock at the death of my said
brother to his son IVancis Ligblfoot Lee, to;:'-Hher with all my lands in Kentucky, with my
lots in the town of Richmond, to hiai and his heirs forever.
4th I give to my said Nephew, F. L. Lee, the tract of land in the province of Maine
granted to me by the State of 2^Iassachusetts, to him and his heirs forever.
5ih I give to my said nephew fifteen acres of Land, being a lot in the Parish of
Passyunk, near Philadcli'hia, to him and his heirs forever.
6ih I give to my said nephew my stock in the IJank of North America.
7tli I give to my nephew Ca^^Jus Lee :ny lots in Norfolk, ray lands on the north side
of the Ohio, consisting of my shares in th.e Ohio Company and my jmrchases from the United
States on the seven ranges, and also my purchase from Col. Henry Lee of his Military
rights, consisting of eight thousand five hundred acres, to him and his heirs forever.
8th I give to my nephew Cassius Lee my postponed 6 per cents in the funds of the
United States.
9th 1 give to my ncph.cw Ludwell Lee all nry Trench Books and Manuscripts.
loth I give to nicce Floia Lee my set of white tea China of Sevres, together with the
red and white Sevres China Coffee Cups, Tea j.ot, Milk pot and bowl.
Ilth I give to my niece Hannah Washington, one half acre lot in Alexandria lying on
Washington and Oronoko Streets and lelt on ground rents, to her and her heirs forever.
1 2th I give to my niece Ann Lee, a half acre lot in Alexandria lying on Princess and
St. Asaph streets which I purchased of Col. Henry Lee, to her and her heirs forever, also
my silver desert knives with pearl handles.
13th I give to my niece Harriet Lee the six lots in Alexandria soU to me by Col.
Henry Lee and which by his agreement with me were to yield tlfty pounds per annum
ground rents, to her and her iicirs forever.
14th I give to my niece Sally Lee one half acre lot in Alexandria No. 76 on Duke and
Royal Streets, to her and heirs forever.
•,A M\
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 285
15th I give to my niece Liicinda Lee one half acre lot in Alexandria lyino: on Duke and
St. Asaph Street and lett on ground rents to her and her beirs forever.
l6th I give to rny niece Ann Brent a piece of plate as she may choose of the value of
twenty Guineas.
17th I give to my dear sister-in-law Rebecca Lee of Menokin my diamond ring and
my gold sleeve buttons with pictures in them.
iSth I give to my dear sister-in-law wife to Richd. Henry Lee a piece of plate of the
value often guineas.
19th I give to my dear brother Francis Lightfoot Lee, my gold enamelled Snuff Box set
with diamonds.
20th I give all the residue of my estate real and personal to my dear brother Richard
Henry Lee, if he should survive me, if not, then to his son P'rancis Lightfoot Lee.
2lst I constitute and appoint my brother Richard Henry Lee, my sole executor and if
I should survive him, then I request my friend Ralph Wormley of Rosegill to accept of that
charge and of a piece of plate worth thirty guineas for his trouble.
October 25th 1792. Codicil — I give to my nephew Cassius Lee five thousand dollars
in lieu of the deferred six per cents, which I give to my nephew Francis Lightfoot Lee and
it is my will that the atoresaid 5,000 dollars should be paid out of ray stock (No 6) to my
nephew F. L. Lee.
Colonel John Lee.
22. John *, eldest son of Henry Lee ^ (Richard ^ Richard ^), and ISIary
Bland, his wife, was probably born at "Lee Hall," "Westmoreland, about
1724 ; he died in the year 1767. It appears to have been the usual custom
to bequeath to ttic eldest son the family homestead ; but, in the case of
John Lee, this custom does not seem to have been observed, for Richard,
tlie second son, in_herited ■'•' Lee Hall." The apparent cause of this was
that John had settled in Essex county, where he was clerk of the courts as
early as 1745, which was two years before his father died. He held the
office until 1761, when he was succeeded by his first cousin, John, son of
IMiiliji Lee, of ^laryland ; it appears they marric-d sisters.
John Lee represented Essex county in the House of Burgesses in 1762-
6y 64-65. There is no information as to any other positions filled by him.^
He married, on the 20th of December, 1749, Mrs. Mary (Smith) Ball. (She
is said to have been a daughter of the Rev. Thomas Smith, a rector of
Cople parish.) After Mr. Lee's death, she married, for the third time (30th
of August, 176S) "'old John Smith, the inoculator," as he was called in a
letter from Philip Ludwell Lee to his brother \\'illiam, under date of 31st
of May, 1769. John Lee lived at "Cabin Point," on the Potomac River,
where he died. His widow died in 1S02. They had no cliildren ; conse-
'• NoTH. In a court rcconl, tl.K John Lfc sv^s given the title of " Colonel," which uould indicate th.Tt
he he)J some position in the county railitia. Th-.; exact niear.ing of these titles has not been clcirly shown ;
yet they were very exact, in those days, in giving these nulitary titles only to persons who held certain
positions.
.■(!• '
286 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
quently he left the larger part of his estate (after his wife's death) to the
male heirs of his brothers, Richard and Henry, the reversion beinr'; in favor
of his nephe^v, Henry (afterward General Henry) Lee ; and as Richard
Lee left no male heirs, almost all of this estate came eventually to General
Henry Lee. The family portraits, mentioned in John's will, were all de-
stroyed by fire many years ago.
John Lee's will was dated the 23d of September, 1765, and probated,
at Westmoreland, on the 24th of February, 1767. It reads:
In the name of God, .^men. I John Lee of the County of Essex, gentleman, being
sick and weak in body but of sound memory and understanding (praise God for it) do make
this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and disannulling all former \Vins by me
heretofore made first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Ahnighty God ray
Creator hoping for free pr.rdon and remission of all my Sins and to enjoy Everln-ting Ilapjn-
ness in his Heavenly kingdom through the sole merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour. My body
I commit to the Earth at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named and as to such
worldly estate as it hath pleased God to intrust me I dispose of as foUoweth : Item, I lend
unto my wife Mary Lee all my estate both real and personal excepting the lands purchased
by me of John Miller and Thomas Ayres, during her natural life. Item, I lend unto John
Lee, Junr, and Susam^a, his wife, during their natural lives, the land purchased of John
Miller and Thomas Ayres aforesaid, and I give and devise the remainder in said Lands to
my Cousin Hancock Lee (son of the said Jo'an Lee, Junr.l t'-^ him and his heirs forever.
Item, I give and bequeath unto the said Hancock Lee all llie re-t of my lands in the County
of F^ssex to him and his heirs forever. Item, T lend (after the death of my wife) unto my
brother Henry Lee for and during his life my lands in Westmoreland County called King
Capsicoe, which my father purchased of John Wright, William Chandler and Deliverance,
his wife, and Susanna .A-ppleyard and the lands I purchased of Francis Wright and Molly,
his wife, and after the death of my said brother Henry, I give and devise the said Lands
unto my nephew Henry Lee and his heirs forever, provided my said nephew live to the age
of twenty-one years, remainder to my said lirotiier Henry and his heirs forever. Item, after
the death of my wife, I lend all the rest of my lands in Westmoreland unto my brother
Richard Lee for and during his natural life, the remainder I give and devise to the issue
male of my said lirother Richard Lee but for want of such issue I give and devise the said
lands to my nephew Henry Lee and his heirs, provided my said nephew lives to the age of
twenty one years, remaimler to my brother Henry and his heirs. Item, I lend unto my sister
Lcttice Uall during her lite the negroes I purchased of Col". William Ball's estate, Vizt.
Letty and her child Frank, George and Betty and their increase and after the dealh of my
.Sister I give the said negroes and their increase to my niece Mary Rail and Nepliew Henry
Lee Ball to be equally divided between them and their heirs forever. Item, I give unto my
wife Mary Lee my negro fellow Abel, Moll (the daughter of Yellow Xan) my chariot Harness
and si.\ chariot horses to her and her heirs forever. Item. After the payment of my debts
I give unto Mary Smith and Fanny Smith Daughters of Baldwin Mathews Smith one young
negro woman each to them and their heirs forever. Item. .After the life of my wife my
will is th.it my negroes be divided into three equal parts, one third wdiereof I lend to my
brother Henry Lee duriiig his life and after his death I give the ^^:^me to my r.ei'hew Henry
Lee and his heirs, provided he live to the age of twenty one years, otherwise 1 give the
.' )
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STKATKORD LINE, POURTH GENERATION. 287
same to ray brother Henry I.ee and his heirs. Item, I lend one other third part of my
said negroes to my brother Richard Lee during his hfe, the remainder to the issue of my said
brotiier Richard Lee Imt for want of such issue, I give the same to my brother Henry Lee
and his heirs. Item, I give the other third and residue of my slaves to in manner following,
that is to say, one moiety thereof to Hancock Lee, son of John Lee Junr., and his heirs, the
other moiety I give to be equally divided amongst Lettice Lee, Philip Lee, Mary Lee and
Elizabeth Lee, the other children of the said John Lee and their heirs. Item, I give and
bequeath unto my nephew Hancock Lee my negro fellow Peter (carpenter) exclusive of his
part of the other slaves afore^aid. Item, I give unto the said Hancock Lee ray desk, book
case, and clock. Item, T give to my brother Henry Lee my picture and those of my Father
and mother. . . . Item, my will is that my wife sell any timber from the Lands lent her for
her own use or for the payment of my debts. . . . Item, I do hereby appoint and constitute
my wife Mary Lee Executrix, my brothers Richard Lee and Heury Lee, Executors, of this
my last will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed
my seal the twenty third day of September one thousand seven hundred and sixty five.
"Squire" Richard Lee.
23. Richard*, the second son of Henry Lee^ (Richard ^ Richard*),
and Mary Bland, his wife, was probably born at "Lee Hall," Westmoreland,
about 1726. His cousin, William Lee, in 1771, wrote of him : '-Richard
is still living and unmarried, though forty-five years old, which is a great
age for a bachelor in Virginia." Richard was always known amongst his
contemporaries as the ''Squire," and was constantly so nanied in their
letters. The '•' Squire " bore a prominent part in the affairs of his county,
representing Westm.oreland almost continuous!}' from 1757 to the time of
his death. He was a Burgess in 1757-5S-62-69-72-74 ; a member of the
Conventions of 1775-76 ; of the House of Delegates in i 777-S0-S4-5-6-7-
90-93. As the lists of the memliers of these various l-odie? are very incom-
plete, it may be assumed, as stated before, that he was in almost continu-
ous service from 1757 to 1795. He was also a justice of the peace, one of
the vestry of Cople parish (1755, i7?>5), and naval officer for the " p->ort of
South Potomack." One of his licenses reads thus :
These are to Lycence and Permit William Lawrence nuister of the Schooner Harriet of
Virginia, to break bulk. Unload and Land in any part of this District, twelve Tons of Barr
and Six of Pigg-Iron, and one hh'd of New England Rum, here legally imported in the said
Schooner from Annapolis, and the rates and duties imposed by Act of General Assembly on
the Rum secured according to law.
Given under our hands at the Custom Hou^e this 25th day of May, 1773.
Only a few of the " Squire's" letters have been found, and they are
remarkable for tlieir terseness and brevity. One, written to his friend
Landou Carter, of "Sabine Hall," on the back of which Mr. Carter en-
dorsed these words, " pliirissimum in parvissimo," gave the important
288 . LEE OF VIRGINIA.
news of the day in these few words : " Williamsburgh, loth May, 1777.
Dear Sir, Wythe Speaker, Xichola.s and Harrison Candidates ; Dr. Lee at
^^adrid•; Spain urges France to declare war, France will assist America
with everything site wants. British cruisers off the Capes ; Washington
ten thousand strong; Carlton within thirty-five miles of Ticonderoga."
Two other letters, equally terse, read :
" To William Lee, Esqr., London. Virginia, 7th March, 1775. Dear
Sir, 1 wrote you the 23rd of Februaiy that your Brother, the Honourable
l^hilip Ludwell Lee, Esqr., departed this life the 21st of that month. He
was interred on the 24th of February, his birthday, and a son was born the
same day and at the time of his Litermcnt. No will has yet been found.
Col. Robt. Boiling at Petersburgh is dead. We are to have a Provincial
Congress at Richmond the 20th of this month. Our Assembly is prorogued
to the first Thursday in May. Lord Dartmouth has directed the Governor
not to call an Assembly upon any account unless the Emergency of an
Indian war requires it. No news of your ship."
"Richmond, iSth November, 1785. Sir, The Taxes are reduced ^^
lov.er than last year. No commutables to be taken. Tobacco from 25/ to
28/ per hund. Wheat at 6/ per bushel ; about 80 square rigged vessels at
Norfolk and in James River. Indian corn 5/6 a bushel in Madeira [?].
PLase to forward the Inclosed. P. S. Jas. Mercer Judge of the Court of
Appeals in the room of Mr. Blair."
No superscription.
The " Squire " seems to have been an odd character, a rather rough
diamond. The follov/ing chatty letter from Alice, daughter of Richard
and ( I race (.\shton) Lee, of Blenheim, Charles county, Maryland, will
be found of interest ; it is inserted here, as it comments so strongly on the
'• Si[uire." It was written to William Lee, of London :
"Maryland, 27 September, 1772. So you threaten me if I prove de-
ficient in the deference I owe you as a married man, with the power you
liave of forwarding or retarding my success in the Matrimonial Way. This
would be a tremendous threat indeed were I as fond of ^h^trimony as my
young Mistress, as you call her; but hap'jiily I am a little more than twelve
years old and not so eager to tye a knot which Death alone can Dissolve.
And yet 1 pretend not to ridicule the holy sacred institution, but have all
due reverence fur that arid the worthy people who have entered into the
Soeiet), fron.i good and generous motives. It is only those who chuse to
be married at all evenis that I think deserve raillery. I was in Virginia
r. ,'V-.n
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 289
when your letter came and complyd with your request relative to Miss Gal-
loway's letter immediately. Your friends there are well, but I never saw
Westmoreland so dull. I was at Squire Lee's when your Letter came. He
is the veriest Tramontane in nature ; if he ever gets married., if his wife
civilizes him, she deserves to be Cannonized.
" I uish it was settled who is to be our Master here ; I hear it v/ill be
soon. So you can't forbear a fling at femalities ; believe me Curiosity is as
imputable to the Sons as to the Daughters of Eve. Think you there was
ever a Lady more Curious than our Cousin the Squire ? He himself is the
greatest of all curiosities ; but hang him, how came he to pop twice into
my head while I was writing to you.
" The Annapolis Races Commence the 6th of C'ctober, the Company
is expected to be numerous and splendid. The American Comp'y of
Players are there and are said to be amazingly improved. I should like to
see them, as I think Theatrical Entertainments a rational amusement ; but
I shall not be there. I, indeed, lead rather a recluse Life, my greatest
pleasure results from the Correspondence of my friends in different parts of
the ^^'orld, and I arn very assiduous to cultivate this kind of amusement.
I know your abilities will always furnish you with materials to give me this
pleasure, and I ho[)e )our inclination will coincide. Mrs. .Inn Lee has not
yet exhibited any raiiling accusation against you. I thank your Mrs. Lee
for her amicable wishes and desire you to greet her and Dr. Lee v.'ith my
friendly Salutations."
When about sixty years old, " Squire " Lee married his first cousin,
Sally, daughter of Peter Poythrcss, the "Antiquary," of '' Branchester,"
Prince George's county. She was a granddaughter, and he a grandson, of
Richard l]land. She was much his junior, being only sixteen when mar-
ried. The " Squire " died in 1 795, leaving a son and three daughters ; the
son died very shortly after his father ; the widow married, on the 23d of
May, 179S, Capt. Willoughby Newton, 3d; died on the cSth of I^Lay,
1S2S, and was buried at •' Lee Hall." She had se\eral children by her
second husband, among them Willoughby Newton, of " Linden," who
married Mary, daughter of Judge \Villiam Prockenbrough, and v.as the
father of the Rev. John B. Newton, M. D., now assistant Bishop of Virginia.
Richard Lee's will was written the i6th of February, 1790, and pro-
bated, at \Vestmoreland, the 23d of March, 1795 :
In the Name of God, Amen. I Richard Lee of Lee Hall, in the parish of Cople in the
County of NVeslnioreland, Es juire, being now in perfect health and strength of iJody and
mind, consideiing the uncertainty of my life, do declare tliLs to be my last Will and Testa-
ment. Imprimis my Soui I do entirely resign up again with all humility and sincerity my
19
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,',: ,.■■'.<: r-
290 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
frail strength is able to express to the Lord God of the Heavens and the Earth, my Creator
from whom my sinful tlesh received it, in steadfast hope of mercy and forgiveness of ail my
offences only through the sufferings and merits of his most beloved Saviour. Amen. Amen.
Amen. Item, My Body, I desire may be buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter
named. Item, I give and bequeath to my son Richard Lee and his heirs forever all my
estate real and personal in possession or reversion subject to th.e Legacys hereafter mentioned
and I desire that he may have the best Education that the Est.ite I have given him will
afford. Item, I give and bequeath to my Wife Sally fifty pounds a year lor four years after
my death to be paid annually, besides her dower. Item, I give and bequeath my Lands in
Hampshire and Berkeley Countys to my Executors in trust to be sold for the payment of my
Debts. Item, I give to my Daughter who is not Christened and* was bom the Twelfth day
of February 1790, One Thousand pounds sterling money of Great Britain, to be paid to her
when she arrives of the age of twenty one years or the day of marriage which shall first bap-
pen and Forty pounds sterling a year for her mentainance and Education till she arrives to
the age of twenty one years or day of Marriage which shall first happen. Item, I give to
Mrs. Mary Graham, my niece, One hundred pounds current money. Item I give to each
of my nephews and nieces a Mourning Ring of twenty shillings sterling value. Item, I
desire my Estate may be kept together four years after my decease and that the profits may
be applied to the Discharge of my Debts and Legacys and I desire and empower my Exec-
utors to sell any part of my personal Estate and such of the slaves as they think necessary
for the payment of my Debts. Item, I give to William Watts a suit of Cloaths, shoes,
stockings, hat and shirt to the value of Ten pounds sterling. I desire and order that the
Minister of the Church of England that is the lacumbent of Cople parish he paid five pounds
sterling a year out of my Estate untill my son Richard arrives to the age of twenty one years
and in case my said son should die before that time the above Legacy be continued till he
would have arrived at La\\ full age. Lastly I do hereby revoke all former Wills and Testa-
ments before made by me and I do constitute and appoint my nephews Charles Lee Esqr.,
Richard Bland Lee Esqr., and my two friends Mr. Fleet Cox (he elder and Mr. Fleet Co.x
Junior, Executors of this my last Will and Testament and Guardians to my children. In
Witness whereof I have hereunto set ray hand and Seal the Sixteenth day of February in the
year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety and in the fourteenth year of the
Commonwealth.
Richard and Sally (Poythress) Lee had four children:
i, Richard ^ who evidently died young and unmarried.
ii, Mary*, who was born the 12th of February, 1790 (as stated in her
father's will), ar^d died in 1S48 ; she married in 1S04 Thomas Jones,
Esq., of Chesterfield county, the son of General Joseph and Jane
(Atkinson) Jones, ^ and had four sons : Joseph, Richard Lee, Thomas,
and Robert Benson. Of these Judge Thomas Jones, of Richmond
county, died early in 1S94, aged about So years, leaving a son, Wil-
liam A. Jones, who was elected in November, 1804, for the third term,
to represent the First Congressional District of Virginia in the House
of Representatives.
^ Rtcortii ef Bristol Par ith, 138.
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 29 1
iii, Lettice ^ born in 1792, and died in 1827; married in 1809 Dr.
John Augustine Sniith (said to have been the son of the Rev. Augus-
tine Smith, "old Parson Smith of the Glebe," as he was styled, some
time rector of Cople parish), who was formerly president of William
and Mary College, and later of the " College of Physicians and Sur-
geons " of New York City. Their children were: Sally Poythress,
who married John Cainpbell. of New York; Martha Rurwell, who mar-
ried John H. IIilchl)urn, of Philadelphia ; Mary Dabney, who died
unmarried, and Augustine, a lawyer, of New York City.
iv, RiCHARDiA ^, born in 1795 and died in 1S50; married in 1815, Presley
Cox, and had t\so daughters: Elizabeth, who married E. C. Grifiith,
and Sarah Lee, who married Col. Thonias Broun, who p'Urchased the
old " Lee Hall " estate from Dr. .\ugustine Smith, and built himself a
fine residence on the opposite side of the main road from the old
marision which perii;hed by fire many years ago. The estate is now-
owned by his son, Thomas Broun.
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Lee.
24. Henry S the tliird son of Henry Lee' (Richard-, Richard^) and
Mary Bland, his wife, was born in 1729, and probably at "Lee Hall,"
Westmoreland. Pie settled in l^rince William county, and lived at "Leesyl-
vania," near the town of Dumfries. He was a Justice of the Peace in that
county and first in commission. Mr. Lee represented Prince William for
many years : as a Burgess in i 758-61-62-63-6.1-69-72, in the Conventions
of 1774-75-76, and in the State Senate, 1780.
Mr. Grigsby, in his discourse on " The \'irginia Convention of 1776,"
said: " Hen.y Lee. of Prince William, was an old member of the PTouse
of Burges.-^cs, of all the Conventions, of the Declaratory Committee, and
of the General Assembly. His standing was of the first, before and after
the Revolution." Mi. Lee also served as County Lieutenant for Prince
William, and was active in the duties of that ofhce during the Revolution-
ary War. (Ta. Calendar Siat(; Papers, I, 21, 395, etc. Force's Tracts, \,
1034, etc.)
On the opposite page :i fac-si/m'Ic, reduced in size, is given of his com-
mission as attorney for Prince Vv'iiliam county.
Very few of Henry Lee's letters have been preserved, and the larger
part of those few are taken up witli uninteresting business details. Writing
to his cousin, William Lee, in London, on business, he closes with this bit of
political gossip :
■:. .M 1 . :.■•!'■■. I i
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I ■* , ■••■*. ..
292 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
"Leesylvania, i April, 1775. ... I have just returned from our Con-
vention at Ivichmond Town on James River, where iiS Delegates of the
People met and unanimously ap[)roved of the Proceedings of the General
Congre^■?, and thanked their Delegates. The sauie Delegates were appointed
to repre:;ent this Colony in Continental Congress on the loth of May next at
Philadelphia. Our Militia of Independents are ordered by the Convention to
be armed and well discijjlined, and a great si)irit of Liberty actuates every
Individual. The Dutch supply us plentifully with arms and ammunition, and
several hirge importations of oznabugs we have already had, so that we shall
soon have a Plenty of Coarse linens from Holland. Your Brother, the
Doctor's Conduct and Letters to the Speaker Szc. are highly appreciated,
and 1 make no Doubt of his being appointed our Agent when the Assembly
meets."
Under dale of 15th May, 1775, ^^ wrote to the same as al>ove: . . .
"I huml)ly tliink your business here is really illy Conducted, and you must
have an Active Agent here of Influence, who has weight with the Planters, and
will Exert himself should the Tobacco trade be ever again revived ; the Present
Prospect being Very unbiding, for the People in the Country have already
taken up arms and have Compelled Lord Dunmore to pay;j^35o sterling for
a Quantity of Powder that he Privately in the night removed out of the
magazine on board the Foye, Capt. Montague. Ten thousand riftle men
are now well trained and are ready to take the field at an Hour's warning.
The Die is now cast, and a blow having been struct near Boston, in w*^''
rencountLr the King's troops were beaten with the loss of 150 men, be-
sides main- wouPided, and the Country People only lost 40 men. The
Inhabitants have all left Boston, and that Place is now surrounded by 20,000
Provencials and 10,000 Conecticut troops are marched to the assistance of
New York ; also 1,500 riffle men from Fred^ County in Maryland under
Cul. Cre^sip, Jr., [?] to Prevent any troops landing. This is the news of
the day."
To Charles Lee, Esqr., in Philadelphia: " Leesylvania, Sth Septem-
ber, 1779. Dear Charles: I received your agreeable Letter by Post, but
without dale ; the best way is dating letters at the top, for fear of omitting
in the hurry of conclusion. Your brotl.er's enterprise does him signal
honour, and I flatter myself it will not be in the Power of his Enemies to
Pluck from him those laurels they cannot acquire, and on his conduct
being enquired into his Military flime will be raised. I agree with you that
the sur[)rise of Paulus Hook casts a shade on Stony Point ; the enclosed
Letter to him, pray contrive safely. Vessels are daily arriving here and
Gen'l Mercer is hourly Expected. Your mare is in good order at Whaley's
: ,:>- I
" t.>
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STRATFORD LINE, TOURTH GENERATION. 293
and with foal by Magnanine ; her colt is small but in good order, and a
pretty Neat turned t'ning. I would not advise the sale of her. I saw your
Letter to Col. Blackburn, and wish the war may be carried on without the
aid of money Press, but borrosving, I fear from the spirit of monopoly
and avidity for gain, will not be sufficient to supply the Call for the sums
necessary for the great expenditures of the Army. The other States ought
to follow our Example by a specific tax of grain to supply the Army with
provisions. Your ^Mother has declined her trij) to the Springs and still
continues unwell; she thanks you for the shoes; she and Molly give their
Loves to you."
To William Lee, in London : " Leesylvania, ist March, 1775. Dear
Sir, I have the melancholy news to Inform you of yr Brother Col. Phil's
death, who died at Stratford of a nervous Pleurisy on the 21st of last month
and has left Mrs. Lee his widow Very Big with Child ; in him Virg'a has
lost an able Judge and America a truly great Patriot ; this Vacancy I hope
you will use your utmost Eftorts to fill up in Council with your Brother
Thos. or Franc:, as the former will inherit all yr Brother's real Estate in
Westmorl'd by your Father's will unless Mrs. Lee's Child should l)c a son,
I could wish the Honour of the Fan:iily to be fixed at Stratford, as to your
Bro. Col. Rich'd Heniy I would by no means have him out of the House
of Burgesses, as there is at Present the greatest reasons to Expect he will
succeed Mr. Randolph as Speaker, who is old and infirm. I expect before
this my Bill in fa\our of Duncan Cam[)bell has been Presented and duly
honoured for ;{^24 sterling and that the James, Capt. Robertson has safely
landed ray two Hhds of Toba: and of Course to a good market, as no
Toba: will after this Crop be Exported unless American Grievances are
redressed as are I'ointed out by the General Congress.
"We are making large Quantitys of Salt Petre from the Nitre in the
Tobacco Putrified with Ferine and have made some very strong v.ell grained
Powder in this County therefrom w^'' ketches quick and shoots with great
force, so that we shall be able in Future to supply ourselves with Salt Petre
and gun Powder without Importing any. Wool Cards we are making in
great Quantitys and Nails will be soon made as mills are Erecting
thro' every Province on the Continent. The Gentlemen are training them-
selves thro' the Continent every week and have raised Companys who mus-
ter two days every week and emulate to Excell each other in y*^ manual
manceuvers and Evolutions as practised by the King of Prussia's Troops,
for we are determined on Preserving our Libert\s if necessary at the Ex-
pense of our Blood, being resolved not to survive Slavery. You may rely
on it that the Continental Association will be most sacredly Kept as the
Idj ■ 'Hj> fi
. .M{^• -Wr-yh
294 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' • -
County Coininittee will not suffer the least breach to pass unnoticed and are
very watcliful, T'ra\ Present our most aff't Compl'ts to Mrs. Lee."
Henry Lee to '• Charles J^ee Es(|r., Student of Law in Philadelphia."
Dated, " Wm'b'e. 12th June, 1779. My Dear Charles, I rec'd yours of
the I St June b}- Post and several others, since being on the Assembly and
have rci;iilarly I'V every P'osl from tliis v.rote you the News and Particular
Occur) ences from this quarter and as far as accts. from Lincolns Army, cir-
culated from t;ie rej^ort or lie of the day, my Ltr by the last post I yet hope
you will receive, in that I gave you a Particular Account of an action
rejiorted with th-j Circumstances of undoubted belief to be given to the
Credibility of the fact, whicli a few days ago was further Confirmed by two
P>encl)men who left Charles town t;ie iitli May, who said they were there
at the time Provost Army attempted to take the City by Storm, and that
650 of the Enemy were killed on the spot and their whole Army routed,
which I now believe to be a Cinscd lie, for there is come to this City a
deserter from the Enemy ^■.•ho left Charles town on the i6th, and sais no
action had then liappened but thai it wa.s more than Proluible, without aid
to c.'Tccl their Escape b}' dieir shipping, wliich were not Arrived when he
left the rrn-y, the}- must fall as Burgoyue did ; for that the Town was too
well forlificd and the Garvison too strong for their force which only Con-
sisted 0: 2,000 regulars and about the same number of Tory and Lidians,
that Ger.'l Moultree v.iio liad entered the town with about 2,500 and Gen'l
Willian.son witli altout the same numbv^.r were on their front and flank, and
Gen'l I incoln within eiglit miles iii their rear with his main array, thai our
whole force Collected was about 8,000 and the Enemy had taken shelter in
St. James Island and burnt some houses and it v/ould be difficult for our
Army tr) get at tliern, that they were sh.ort of Provisions and if Could not
soon be relieved from tlieir shipping ihey would be obliged to Surrender or
Starve ; this is ner.rly the l^'urport of his Examination before the Gov'r tho'
many give no Credit to his Acc't and still believe the Frenchmens story.
The trutli is I believe they have had some small skirmishing and we got the
better. I wrote )ou lully in my two last of the preditory and Cruel be-
haviour of the late invaders of this State, v hich if \ou have not rec'd let
suffice that they far siiri>assed in Brutal lust the Goat or in ferocity the wild
Boar, in barbarity the Savage or tlie vandals. Tell your Brother I will take
notice ^S. his request in two Ltrs, I have received from him and on my
return write him fully as to the state of h.is Mares, (N:c. and as soon as I get
home shall endeavour to Contrive you a remittance. The Expenses of your
Phila. Studies when had you taken my advice might in a great measure been
saved, h.id you applied yr hours wasted in Idle pursuits of dissipation to
STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 295
Cooke, Blackstone, (Ivc. having had a gen'l knowledge of the system of Law
tracts, Possessing the fundamental Principals, you might have been nov/
employed in reading the reports and applying the Practical Cases and digest-
ing the reasoning of the Pleaders, and Judges on the applied maxims ; my
this year v.-ill be near ^2,000. I shall be always happy to hear
from you and of yr application and frugality, w"^^ is Commendable at all
times."
Henry Lee's will, dated the loth of August, and probated, in Prince
William county, the first of October, 1787, v,-as as follows:
In the name of God, Amen. I Henry Lee of Leesylvania in the County of Prince
William, being in perfect mind and memory, but weak and infirm in body and mindful cf
the uncertainty of human life, do make this my last Will and Testament, hereby annulling
and revoking all others heretofore by me made. I'irst, I recommend my soul to God in
Humble Hopes of iiis mercy through mediation and intercession of our Blessed Lord an<l
Saviour, and my body to the earth to be interred at the discretion of my Executor hereafter
mentioned. It is my will and desire that all ray ju-t debts be jiaid and th.at the estates real
and personal hereafter devised and bequeathed to my sons Charles, Richard, Theodorick,
and Edmund shall be subject thereto, each of my said four sons to pay an t(jiifd part thereof.
I give and devise to my beloved wife during her n.^tural life all my houses at Leesylva-
nia and 500 acres of land whereupon the said houses stand, being part of the Leesylvania
tract of Land, to be laid oiT on the River Potomac and to be bounded by Neapsco creek, the
River Potomac and Powell's creek and a straight line from one creek to the other so as to
comprehend all the said Ilouies and the said quantity of 500 acres of land. Also I give
and devise to her during her natural life the use of the following slaves, Alice, Beck, Racheal,
Dick (the House servant) Kate, daughter of Beck, carpenter Dick, ^^'inney, Jesse, and all
Winney's children, Daniel, 'I'om, and old Nanny — also the use of the following horses,
Diamond, Roan, Gimrack, Ranter, Flimack, and the bay mare, Famous, and the use of the
black cattle, sheep, and Hogs at my mansion house farm and not those belonging to my
quarters on PowelVs creek or Neapsco creek, and the use of all my household Furniture
except my chest of drawers and b<jok case lately imported and whatever else may herein Ite
particularly bequeathed, and the use of all the utensils of Husbandry used at the mansion
farm and the carts and wac;onb there used. ALo all the goods, provisions and Liquors now
at Leesylvania, intended for the u^e and consumption of my family there, and also tbic
annuity of one hundred pounds lawful money to be paid out of the Estates herein given to
my sons Charles, Richard, Tlicodore and LMmund, each to be accountable for one fourth
part of the said sura of /^loo as the same shall in each year become due. It is my will and
intention that t!ie Devises and Bequests before mentioned to my said wife shall be to her ir;
lieu of her dower and in full satisfaction of any claim she can have in lasv to any of my
lands, slaves, and personal estate of any kind what-.ocver. I give and devise unto my
eldest and beloved son Henry all th.e interest I have in the lands and slaves deviled to me
by my brother John in his last will, and my meaning in making this device of the said lands
is to prevent all disputes that may in the future arise among those who may claim the same
as heirs under me, being of the opinitm I have not any interest in them tho : I have an in-
terest in the slaves. Also I give and devise unto him and his heirs forever all my lands in
the district of Kentucky wheth.er located, surveyed or patented, also the lands I purchased of
my brother Richard Lee lying in Westmoreland County ne.-'.r Richard Lee's mill. It is my
1^ ...(-.:> U'
:v;> . ' :■,, ■ jl
296 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' " -
will and desire that my son Henrj' shall hold all that I have given to him free and clear
from any debts and legacies, but that he shall have no part of my slaves now in possession
or in the possession of my sons Charles and Richard nor any part of my personal estate ex-
cept the slaves, Bill, Bet and her child heretofore given to him which are to remain his for-
ever,
I give and devise unto my second and beloved son Charles all my lands and houses in
the County of Prince William known by the name of Leesylvania, being the land devised to
me by my much honored father's will and those purchased by me of Bertrand Ewell and
Frances, his wife, the Hon. WilJiom Fairfax, Esc[uire, Thomas Chinn and Janet, liis V'.-ife,
and of Cuthbert Harrison containing from two to three thousand acres, a part of which lies
on the west side of the main road from Colchester to Dumfries, to have and to hold the said
lands and Houses, to him and his heirs forever. But that part of the said lands and the
Houses herein before devised to my wife are to remain with her during her natural life.
And my meaning is to include in this devise to my son Charles tliat tenement upon Neaj.sco
River which I leased originally to Thomas Bookard and by him was afterwards assigned to
Thomas Lawson and also to include all the lands I have a right to upon and bstv.-een
Neapsco and Powell's Run westward of the main road as well as those which are Eastward of
said Road. Also I devise to him for love a lot of land in Dumfries not yet conveyed to me
but paid for and I desire the Trustees of the said town to convey the same to hini in fee
simple. I give and devise to my third and beloved son Richard Bland Lee and my foutth
and beloved son Thcodorick Lee all my lands in Loudoun County devi-ed to me by my
Father's will and purchased by me of William and Hardage Walker and their wives, to be
equally divided between them, to hold the same to them and their heir.-, forever respectively,
my son Richard to have his choice of the dividends.
I give and devise to my youngest son Edmund all my lands in Fauquier County to hold,
to him and his heirs forever, provided he arrives to the age of twenty one years or leaves lav/-
ful issue of his body which issue shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, but if he dies
before that age not leaving lawful issue or having lawful issue of his body which shall not
arrive at the age of t%venty one years, then I devise the said lands to my son Henry Lee and
his heirs forever. It is my \^i!l th.it my son Edmund be educated in the best manner out of
the estate and property in this my will given to him.
I give to my eldest and dearly beloved Daughter ^LH•y my square of loits in the town
of Dumfries, now in the occupation of Henderson Ferguson and Gibson, to have the same
to her and her heirs forever ; that in order that she may immediately be placed in an inde-
pendent situation v,-hich for her dutiful and affectionate behavior she well deserves. Also I
give to her the following slaves, Philis, Leb, Suiah, Betty daughter of Franklin and their
future increase.
I give to my l;eloved Daughter Lucy the sum of one thousand pounds lawful money of
Virginia, to be paid to her in ~picie at marriage or the age of twenty one years, which tlrst
shall happen and in the meantime fifty pounds spicie hr each year, to be paid to her guar-
dian for her maintenance and education ; also I give to her forever the following slaves,
Charlotte, and Nanny daughter of Moll and their future increase.
I give and bequeath to my Daughter Nancy the sum of one thousand pounds lawful
money of Virginia, to be paid to her in spicie at marriage or the age of twenty one years,
which shall happen first, and in the meantime tit"ty pounds spicie for each year, to be paid to
her Guardian for her maintenance and education. Also I give to her forevei the following
slaves, Alice daughter of Margery, Milly daughter of Jenny and Darby daughter of Dinah,
and their increase; but if either of my daughters Lucy and Nancy sliall die unmarried and
i' :i i
STRATiORD LINE, FOURTH GEXERATIOX. 297
before the age of twenty one years then the bequests to the person so dying shall go to the
survivor.
I give and devise unto my sons Charles, Richard, Theodorick and Edmund, all the
slaves and other personal estate herein before given to my wife, to be used by her during her
natural life, and their increase, to be equally divided between them, forever after rny wife's
death. Also I give an.i devise to my sons Charles, Richard, Theodorick and Edmund for-
ever all my other slaves and their increase, except what have been liLicin before particularly
given to my eldest son and my tliree daughters and all the other P'state Real and Personal
whatsoever and wheresoever not herein otherwise specifically disposed of, all which slaves
and other Estate are to be equally divided between them as soon as can conveniently be
done by my friends William Lane, Jeremiah Cockerell and John McMilJion or any two of
them, and it is my meaiiing that the slaves and stocks delivered by me at any time hereto-
fore to my sons Charles and Richard, which are now in their possession or for whicli they
should account to me, shall be subject to the divi-ion last mentioned. But my will further is
if my son Edmund shall die before he arrives to t!ie age of twenty one years, not leaving
lawful issue of his body or leaving such Issue which shall not arrive to the age of twenty
one years, then his share of my slaves and pergonal estate shall go to my sons Charles, Rich-
ard, Theodorick and ray Daughters Mary, Lucy and Nancy or such as shall then be alive.
It is my will and desire that my Legacies to my daughters Lucy and Nancy be paid by
my said sons Ciiarles, Rich.ird, Theodorick and Edmund and their respective heirs, each of mj'
four said sons to pay an equal part thereof, and I appoint my ton Ciiarles Guardian to my
son Edmund and daughters Lucy and Nancy till they shall respectively arris'e to the age of
twenty one years, and I entreat his best care and attention to their education.
And to the end that my Executor may be enaliled to pay my debts and Legacies, I de-
sire that my sons Richard, Theodorick and Edmund will punctually pay to hira their several
proportions as before mentioned of the sums that may become necessary from time to time
to satisfy my debts and Legacies as they shall become payable and if eitlicr of them fail to
do so, then and in every such case, my intention meaning and desire is that my E.xecutor
shall and may from time to time take possession of and sell for ready money so many of the
slaves and stock of the person failing which shall come to such persua by virtue of this my
will, as shall be absolutely necessary to raise the sums that from time to time shall be law-
fully deraandable from .-uch person as the proportion due according to what has been before
expressed in this my last will. I appiint my son Charles Executor of this my last will and
testarnevit, and if he should die before my son Edmund shall arrive to the age of twenty one
years or l>efore my daughters Lucy and Nancy shall arrive to the age of twenty one yeais or
be married, or b>-f)re this will be fuUy executed in such case 1 ajijioint Ludwell Lee and
my son Kicliard lilaiid Lee Executurs for the completion of this my will and Guardians of
such of my children as shall then be under the age of twenty one years and unmarried. In
witness, ^cc., <Scc.
Henry Lee married Lucy Gryrne.s, to whom tradition has given tb.e
name of the " Lowland l^eauty," and claimed that Cieneral Washington was
oiice a suitor for her harid. Her mother was Frances Jenings, daughter of
Edmund Jenings and Frances (Jorbin. his wife. The following copy of
Henry Lee's marriage certiiicate is taken from the original :
This is to certify all, whora it may concern, that I William Preston .Minister of James
City Parish in y*^ County of James City in the Colony of Virginia did join together in holy
,/ 13" ii.ir,
•,1 >;- V
298 LEE OF VIRGINIA, - • ' , „;
matrimoii)' according to the !\itos, and Ceremonies of y- Church of l']ngh\nd Henry Lee
Gent: and Lucy Grj'ines, yoiingcit Daughter of Charles Grymes Esq'' deceased, on Saturday
y« first Day of r>eceniber in y° Year of our lord one thoasand seven hundred fifty and
three. (Signed) William Preston.
Will and Mai: Coll: \'irg: April y= 26'^' 175.!.
Henry and Lucy (Grv'ines) Lee had eiglit children :' ' '
i, Henry ^ See 35. y • _
ii, Charles '\ See 36. ' ' '. .,
iii, Richard Eland ^ See 37.
iv, Theodorick ^. See ^S.
V, Edmund Jennings. '' See 39.
vi, Lucy/', born in 177 j; died unmarried.
vii, ]\L\RY % born ; died ; married, about 1792, Philip Richard
Fendall, of Alexandria. Mr. Fendall had previously married the
Avidov/ of Philip Lud\-xri Lee, of Stra*:fc>rd ; she died about 1790. By
the second marriage be left a son, Phili}) Richard; and a daughter,
Lucy Eleanor Fendall. The son, Philip R. Fendall died the i6th of
, Februar)', rS6S, ret. y;--; years, leaviiR' fciur sons and three daughters,
of '.vhoui tlie survivors dov/ reside at Washington,
viii, Anne^, born in 1776 and died in August, 1S57 ; married, about 1793,
William B\ rd Page, of '''Fairfield," Clarke county. (Mr. Page was
the eldest son of Mnun and Mary I\Lason (Selden) I'age, of the same
place ; Mann Page was tlie eldest son of the Hon. John Page, of
" North End," and Jane P>yrd; his vrife. The Hon. Joliu Page %vas the
second son of the Hon. i\Iann Page, of '' Rosewell," and Judith
Carter, his wife; the lion. Mann Page was the son of the Hon.
Matthew and Mary (Mann) Page, Avho was the only surviving son of
Col. John Page, of l^ngland, the progenitor of the I'age family of
Virginia.)
William Pyrd and .Vnne (Lee) Page had nine children :^ i, William
Byrd, born about 1794; died unmarried, z, Mary Anne, l)orn about
1796 and died in December, 1373; ^'^^' married, about 1816, General
Roger Jones, Adjutant-General, U. S. A., and had these twelve children
(Jones) : "William Pa-j, Catesby aj) Ruger, Letitia Corbin, I^Liry, Dr.
Eusebius Lee, Edmonia i'age, Roger ("Ins^jcctor-General, L*. S. A.),
Walter, Charles Lueian, 1'liomas Skelton, \'irginia Byrd, and ^^'infleld
Scott Jones. 3. Rev. Cliarles Heni\' Page, the second but eldest son
to have issue, married, in 1827, Gabriella Crawford, of Amherst
' Sec Genea'c'^-y 0/ tht Page laoiiiy, \>. iic>
I ■'■•
7: '•■'l'''
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 299
county. 4, Mann Randolph,, liorn about 1S03 ; married and had a
daughter, Jane IJyrd Page, who married, the nth of r^Iay, 1S54,
Guerdon H. Pendleton, of Clarke county. 5, Jane Byrd, born about
1805 ; never married. 6, Richard Lucian, Captain, U. S. N.. and
Prigadier- General, C. S. A., was born about 1S07 ; resided at Norfolk,
and married, about 1S32, Alexina Taylor, of that city; had a son,
Walter PI. Page, who v.as born about 1S50, and a daughter who
married William C. Whittle, C. S. N. 7, Cary Selden, born about
1809; never married. 8, Dr. Thomas, born about iSii : was mar-
ried. 9, Edmonia Page, boin about 1S13 ; married, about 1S33,
Hall Neilson.
Note. — The General Roger Jones, Adjutant-General, U. S. A., men-
tioned above as having married Mary Anne Page, was the eldest son of
Catesby Jones, Esq., of Westmoreland county, who miarried Lettice Corbin
Turberville, second child of John I'urberville and Martha Corbin, his v.ife,
both of whom were grandchildren of Richard Lee and Martha Silk, his
wife. (See 3, ii and iii.)
THE GRYMES FAMILY.
Of the many infiuential families that once inhabited old Middlesex
county, that "cradle of Virginia t'amilies," none appear to have been
more prominent than that of Grymes. The first of the name in Virginia
was the Rev. Charles, Nvho was officiating in York county as early as 1642 }
subsequently he moved to Gloucester county, where he died. Plis son,
John, lived at •• Grimesby," near the Piankatank River. His nauie ap-
})eared on the vestry books of Christ Church, Lanca.ster, as early as 1694.
This venerable church was built about midway between "Brandon," the
later seat of the Grymeses, and " Rosegill," tlie seat of the Wormeleys.
John Grymes married Alice, daughter of LawTcnce Townley by his wife,
Sarah, the daughter of Col. Augustine Warner. He died about 1709. and
left a son, John, who was born in 1693 and died in 174S, leaving a large
family. Bishop Meade has given his epitajih :
Here lies the body of the Hon. lohn Grymes, Esq., who lor many years acted in the
public affairs of this Dominion with honour, fortitude, fidelity, to their Majesties King George
I. and II. Of the Council of State, of tlic Roya! Prerogative, of tlie liberty and property of
the subject, a zeahius asserter. On the seat of Judgment, clear, soimd, unbiassed. In the
otfice of Receiver-General, punctual, approved. Of the College of William and Mary, an
ornament, visitor, p.itron. Beneficent to all, a pattern of true piety. Respected, loved, re-
vered. Lamented I'y his family, ac^iu-uutance, country. He d.eparted this life the 2d day
of November, 174S, in the 57th year of hi- age.
■■'■ < 'rt><','K ,
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300
l.EK OF VIRGINIA.
This John Grytnes had a brother CharKrs, who married Frances
Jciiings, daughter of Gov. Ednv.md Jcnings and I^'rances Corbin, his wife;
Frances was the daughter of Henry Corljin and Alice Eltonhead, his wife,
and a younger sist;N- of La^titia, who married Richard Lee, of " Mt. Pleas-
ant," \\'estniorebn<]. Charles Grymes lived at " iMorattico," in Rich-
mond county; ho was born about 1697, and v/as deceased at the date of
the marriage of his daughter, .T,ucy. v.ith Henry Lee, as stated in their mar-
riage certiticate. Charles Grymes was Sheriff of Richmond county, and a
member of the Council in i7;'^-5.
i
THE JEXLNGS FiUHLY.
Arms: Argent, a clievron between tluee phimmels, gules.
Crest : A grifhn'5 head coiiped between two v/ings inverted 01, in the beak a plararaet,
gules.
Peter Jenings, of Silsdeii in the parish of Kildnick in Craven in
Comit : Ebor., maiiiod Elizabcili Patker, on tlie 131)1 of January, i5F!S,
and had issue: Peter and Williau,. His eldest son, Peter, v/ho died on
the ist of September, 1651, married Anne Baldv.-yn
and had issue: Peter, Jonathan, and Edmund. The
second son, Jonathan, who died on the 24th of Au-
gust, 16.(0, uuirried Elizabeth, daughter and co heir
of Giles ParK'er, of Newly in Com: Ebor., and had
issue, amon;'; othiers. Sir Edmund and Sir Jonathan,
who marnod si^^ters ; the elder. Sir Edmund (a:t. 38
years OJi the 15th of August, 1665), born in 1627;
died obout 1607 ; married Margaret, daughter of Sir
Edward Parkliran, Lord lVLi}or of London in i6:;i-
2j ; lie lived at Rippon, Yorkshire; left issue:
Anrie, l^lizabelh, Mary, Jonathan, 'William, and
Edmund.' The youngest son, Edmund, was born in
1650; d'ed in ]:jigland the 5th of Lk-cember, 1727;
he was in Virgiiii;t at an early date ; was attorney-
general in 16S4; " ^Fr. Edniu.nd Jenings, attorney-general of Virginia"
was or.e of the delegates t'rom Virginia, at Albany, X. Y., on the 31st of
July, 1684, at a coufererice with " the Oneydes, Onondagcs, and Cayugas
Indians." (I, la. Cal. Sfafe Pa^^crs, 17.) Pie was member of the Coun-
cil, 16S4, 1691, 169S, and perhaps continuously; was President of the
Coimcil, and acting governor of the State froui June, 1706 to 23d of Au-
\
O
m
/
%
^~—
IThis pedigree is cundensej from one given in 'J'he Curio (of New Vor}:), p. 1(1.
iii^ .,n'.:.'.i
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STRATFORD LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 30I
LTUst, 1710. Secretary of the Colony, 1704, and revivor of its laws. {Il'iJ.,
55, 86.)
He married Frances, daughter of Henry Corl)in, and Alice EUonhead,
his wife; she died at London on tlie 22d of November, 1713; they had
several children; auior.g them, Frances, who married Charles Grymes;
Elizal'etli, who married Robert Porteiis, of " New ]')Oltle," on the York
River, who was member of the Council in 1715 ; later he removed to "^'ork,
England; in the cathedral at Rippon is an inscription to his memory. He
had nineteen children ; next to the youngest was Eeilby Porteus, born at
York the Sth of Ma}-, 1731 ; died tlie 14th of May, iSoS; was bishop of
Chester and later of London. ( /r. and AT. Quarterly, \\\^ 2)'^.')
Beside these daughters, Gov. Edmund Jenings had a son, Edmund,
who was Secretary of the Province of Maryland; he married (in 172S)
Ariana, the widow of James Frisby and of Thomas Bordley, and daughter
of ^Matthias, and Anna Marga^etta (Hermann) Yanderlieyden, and had issue :
Peter, Ariana, Edmund, and Charles. Ariana married John Randolph, of
Williamsburg, Ya. , and had issue: Edm'.md (first Attorney-General of the
U. S., and Governor of Ya.), Susan iJcverley, and Ariana Jenings Randoli'/n.
This Edmund Jenings died, at Bath, on the 3d of March, 1756, aged 59
years, and left a son, also Edmund Jenings, who died unmarried, 1819.
There were others of the Jenings family in \"irginia; Charles, who
was clerk of Elizaljeth City count}-; John, \\\\o was clerk of Isle of Yv'ight
county, and took pan in Bacon's Rebellion ; and also Peter, who was once
attorney-general of ^'irginia ; he married and left descendants. {]V, and
M. Quarterly, HI, 205.) The following, relating to Gov. Edmund Jenings
is of interest :
To Our Trusty aivi Well eloved PVan : Kicholsrin, (jur Lieut: and Gover.nour, &c.
Trusty and Wdbelovcd, \\'cf Greet You w-U : Wliercas th,- C)!-'.!iiii.,ioner5 for proinotiug
the Trade of this Kingdom and of our Colonies and Plantations aiiroad, have represented to
our High Treasurer here by a Memorial which hath been laid before us, thai our Trusty
and V.'elbeloved Edmund Jenings, Es^r., Secretary of the Afiaires of Our Colony Of \'ir-
ginia, hath for Severall months past attended them with great liiligence for Complealing the
Worke of Inspecting and Amending the Laws of Our said Colony, which he (by your ap-
pointment) brought over wiih him from thence l"or that service. And in recompense of his
paines and charges in this service (being about to returne again with tlie said Laws as
Amended). They, the said Conmiissioners have oiiered their opinions, that the sume of /"-oo
(over and aljove the sume of /Tioo, which you advanced to him before his coming from
thence) may be allowed him Out of Our Revenues there, To which Wee being Graciously
pleased to Condescend agree, ^^c. &c.
(Signed)
By y'' Ma"" Command.
Goborrtii.v.
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302 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ■ "
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION.
George Fairiax Lee.
25. George Fairfax *, eldest son of George Lee * (Richard \ Richard ^
Richaid') and Anne (Fairfax) Washington, his second wife, was born at
'•' Mt. l'le;isant," Westmoreland county, on the 24th of February, 1754;
died at same place in I^ecember, 1S04 ; he married the widow of a Dr.
Travers, of Berkeley (now Jefferson county, West Virginia), and had sev-
eral children, only one of whom lived to marry; this was a daughter,
Louisa. He mentioned in his will that he had had other cliildren, who
were deceased at that date. All his landed property was left to his brother,
Lancelot Lee. Of his life, nothing is known ; from the following letter,
written to his kinsman, "William Lee, then at London, it is shown that he
was educated at Chrisi's College, Cambridge:
*''Xt. College, Cambridge, Wednesday morn'g, 4th Nov'ber, 1772.
Sir, — I rec'd the favo'.ir of yours, with the hampers of wine c^'c, and know
not at this time any other way to shew my gratitude than by hasty thanks
for the same. I would be much obliged to you, if you v.-ould let F)r. Shep-
herd provide me with a tutor, as they are all at present iri College, which I
imagii'ic will take off your hands a great deal of trouble, as our lectures
begin on Sunday afternoon. 1 will be much oblig'd to you if you. will let
me kn^''^•, if )-ou aitprove of my request, as Mr. Shejoherd thinks if I had
had a prix'aie tutor, v.-lien I first came to the University, it worJ.d have been
of iiifmitc service, but he says it is a thing impossible for me to do without
one, during the lectures. So I hope you will write as soon as possible that
1 may be able to procure one before they are all engaged. I was very
sorry w'ncn 1 read that jiart of your epistle v.hich mentioned Mrs. Lee's
illness, but I liope she is at this time out of all danger, and ii"! perfect
hc;i!'!i. so as to be able to stir al)0ut again. 1 iiope you will remember me
to ?>Irs. Lee, Mrs. Dinwiddie, &c. I'm Sir," &C.
llih v.ill, dated 3d of December and probated the 24th of December,
1S04, was as follows:
In the Name of God, .A.i!ien. I George Fairfax Lee of the County of Westnioreland
and State of Virginia, being low in health but of sound mind and memory, do make and
dec!;ue this to be my last will a;id testament, revoking all and every other heretofore made
by inc or in my name.
First, It i.s my wi;h to be decently interred in Mount Pleasant Garden,' where my
' This garden was jcol-.-ibly near the house, erected by his f.ither, on the hill further lack from the river
thnn th^ old mansion.
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GKNF.RATION. 303
wife and children arc, without pomp or panide. 2d. I wish Hugh Quiiilan to pay such
de!)ts as he has assumed for me, I lio.ving acknowledged thein to be ju-l. 3d. 1 give unto
Hugh Quinlan the amount due by William Chelton of Loudoun County being tlie I'alance of
his purchase of lands from me, which I sold to discharge a debt due by Jolm Taskcr Carter
to Porter Stumps.
4th. I give unto Hugh Quinlan all the lands in Loudoun county heretofore conveyed
by me to him, as will apj'car by Deeds, in fee simple clear of all and every incumbrance
whatever. Tliis I do to prevent any di.-pute or censure. 5th. I give unto Tasker Quinlan,
son of Hugh Quinlan, the full amciunt of the Debt due by his Uncle John Tasker Carter
to me, which debt his father is to apply to his benefit as he may think mo;.t pn per and
useful.
6th. I give unto my brother Lancelot all the residue of my Estate both real and per-
sonal in fee Simple to be disposed of as he may think proper among his children. That is
to say he paying the following Legacies, Viz. first to Mrs. Quinlan, for the kind and tender
attention to me, three hundred dollars, which is to be applyed by her husband for the pur-
chase of a carriage for her use. Second Legacy to be paid to my brother Wiiliam five
guineas for a mourning ring and thirdly five guineas to my sister for the same purpose.
Given ui der my hand, Ccc.
i, Louisa *, married John Tasker Carter, and died without issue. On
the 27th of February, 17S6, George Fairfax Lee deeded tvro slaves to
his daughter, Louisa Lee.
Lancelot Lee.
26, Lancelot S the second son of George Lee* (Richard ^, Richard \
Richard') and Mrs. Anne (Fairfax) Washington, his second wife, was born
at " Mt. Pleasant," Westmoreland county, the 19th of January, 1756; died
. Mr. Lee is said to have been tv\-ice married ; first to Mary Eathurst,
daughter of Col. Thomas and Sallie (Skelton) Jones; after her death he
married, secondly, a Miss Cockrell. By his first wife he had two sons and
three daughters ; by the second only a daugh.ter, Martha, concerning whom
there are no data. The issue of Lancelot and Mary Bathurst (Jones) Lee
were :
i, Lancelot Bathurst*, v.'ho, it is said, died in Charleston, S. C,
when al)Out to embark for England ; he never married.
ii, Sallie Fairfax^ married Robert Sangster, of Fairfax coiuit)-, and
had : Robert (who died in infancy), Mary Ann, who married a Mr.
Erwin, and Thomas S. Sangster.
iii, Elizabeth J. J. '^ married Colonel James Chipley, a lawyer o\ Win-
chester, ^"a., and h.ad : William Lee, Mary Ann, Sallie Fairfax, James
Monroe, Richard Heary, Ludwell Lee, and Elizabeth ^\'ashington
Chipley,
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304 I'EE OF VIRGINIA.
iv, Nan'Cy'' married Richard Cockrell, of Fairfiix county, and had : Mary,
Sallie Lee, Richard, and Thomas Lee Cockrell.
V, Thomas'^ married, but name of wife unknown. He is said to liave
had several children, of whom three sons are now living: George W.,
Philip Do Catesby, and William F. Lee, all of whom are married and
have iss'.ie. (Repeated attempts have been made to gain some reliable
data concerning the issue of Lancelot Lee, but without success. The
above is given on the authority of private information, based chiefly
upon family tradition.)
LHiLir Thomas Lee.
27. Philii' Thomas % the second son of Richard Lee* (Philip ^ Rich-
ard'-', Richard ') and Grace Ashton, his wife, was born , and died the
sSth of November, 1778, '-at his father's seat on the Potomac." He
married a Miss Russell, of Lngland, who may have been a relative of the
James Russell so frequently mentioned in conni^ction with the family, and
who had married .\nne, daughter of Philip Lee, Sr. Miss Miller, of Wash-
ington, has in her possession a silver dish, in the centre of which are en-
graved the Lee arms, bearing on a shield of "pretence" the arms of
'' Russell of Kingseat." ' As it seems most probable that this dish must
have once belonged to Philip Thomas Lee, a print of it is given on the
following page.
Philip Thomas had five children :
i, Russell'^, who died in 1793, ^ niinor, and without issue.
ii, Sarah Russell*^, so named in her aunt's will. " A few days ago the
Hon. Benjamin Contee, Esqr. (a delegate to Congress from this State),
was married to Miss Sarah Russell Lee." (Md. /o/tr/hi/, Sth April,
17S8.) They had issue: Sarah Elinor, Alice Lee, Philip Ashion Lee,
and Edmund Henry Contee.
The Rev. Penjamin Contee, D. D., was born in 1755, in Prince
George's county, Md. ; he was appointed a second lieutenant, and
served in the army during the P.evolutionary War ; was member of
Congress in i 7S7-SS-90-91, and later Judge of the Orphans' Court
of Charles county, Md. Li 1803, he was ord;uned to the priesthood
1 .Mr. J. Henry Lea employed Dr. Mirshall, of the Herald's College, London, to identify the arms here
borne in pretence. Dr. MariUail blazons thcr.i as; A>c"ti, <* chevron ictiucfn t'lree taapcUi ^ind '.ininn:
a lo>,{ure s,itu\ and onee borne by the " RusselU of Rinijieai." This family has not been identified ; but
the Kiisscds of " Ashies:eel, co. Selkirl:," bear tliese very similar arms : Arisen! en a chi-jron gulrs l-.twien
thr^e l.iJj''o\-s,sahie,ti nuiriin ,1/ the Jl-ul.zvithin a bardure engrai-ed, a::Hrc. This dish, was probably
made about 1760.
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STRATFORD LINK, FIFTH GENERATION. 305
in the Episcopal Church and was rector of several parishes; in 1S14,
he was within a few votes of receiving the election for Bishop of that
diocese. Apparently he continued his duties as a judge, for he was at
the time of his death, in 1S16, the chief judge of the Orphans' Court
of Charles county.
On the 7th December, 1790, a deed was executed between Benja-
min Contee and Philip Richard Fendall, of Alexandria, for a part
"of Peyton's Levels," the property of Grace Lee, late of Charles
county, Md., which land had been divided betv/een Elinor Ann Lee
and the heirs of Philip Thomas Lee.
-wSSj.
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On the 5th of September, 1797, a deed was made between Philip
llichard Fendall, and Mary, his wife, to Ann Lee, of Charles county,
Md., for one fifth part of " Peyton's Levels " in Westmoreland and
Richmond counties, which had been conveyed to Fendall by Benjamin
Contee and Sarnh Russell, his v.'ife.
iii, ^LvR.;ARKT Ru.^>KLL*, married James ClerkUe, and had issue: Caro-
line R., who m.arried Josjah Hawkins, of Charles county, Md. ; Elea-
nor Russell, who married Edward Henry Grette ; Eliza, who married
Lyson, and Emily, who married Thomas D. Fendall, o( Charles
county, Md. (See 8, i and iii.)
iv, Elinor ^ married Dr. William Pav.-son, son of Ambrose Dawson, of
20
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306 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ?
Yorkshire, I'^lngland ; they had: William, born 1798; Mary Ann,
born 1799; Robert Lee, born iSoi : Philips Lee, born 1S03 ; Fred-
erick, born 1S05 ; Eleanor Georiziaria, and Laura Dawson, who mar-
■ •- ried Arch-deacon MacDonald, of Salisbury, England, and had issue.
;■ ' Of these, William Dawson married Sarah, daughter of Peter Augustus
Jay, of New York, and had: V.'illiam Pudsey (1837-183S), William
Pudsey (1S39-1S51), and Mary Jay Dawson, born in New York, in
1842 ; married Colville, second son of Sir Frederick William Frank-
land, and had issue.
Vj Ann®, married William Gamble, no issue known.
»•
GovERXOR Thomas Sim Lee. [
28. Thomas Sim^ the only son of Thomas Lee* (Philip ^ Richard', j
Richard') and Christiana Sim, his v/ife, \va3 born on the 29th of October,
1745, in Prince George's county, Md., and died on the 9th of October, ^
iSi 9, at his home, "Xeedwood," in Frederick county, Md. Xotliing is
kno.vn of him until he appears in i-ublic life in 1777, as a mem.ber of the
Provincial Council of Maryland. Fie was then only about thirty-two years
old. From that date on until old age prevented, he seems to have been con-
tinuall}- ill the ser\ice of liis State. The legislature elected him governor
in 1779, being the second to hold that office under the State Constitution.
Again in 1792 he .was chosen to this position, and served the full term, but
declined an election in 179S, when offered a third term. Besides these
offices, he was a member of the Continental Congress in 1783-4 ; was elected
to the Constitutional Convention of 17S7, but refused to attend; later, he
served in his State convention which met to ratify the Constitution, adopted
at Philadelphia.
The following letter, written to the Governor of Yirginia, is of some
interest :
"Sir, The Marquis LrTayette has requested this State to furnish armed
Vessels for the Protection of the Transports and Troops under his Com-
mand and destined for the Expedition against Portsmouth. We have only
been able to procure a Brig of fourteen fo!ir-i)Ounders, a Schooner of eiglit
three-pounders, and a Sloop loaded and bound to sea, of three tenpounders.
From vatious accounts we are apprehensive this force is inferior to the
Enemies Privateers in ihe Bay, We have wrote to the Commander of the Ships
of our .-\lly at the C ii)(-s, and if he cannot spare one of his Vessels to con-
voy the Marquis, you- will see the necessity of Your State iunnediately pro-
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 307
curing a force, which in conjunction with ours, would certainly be superior
to the enemies Cruisers. The Marquis, with the Troops, Cannon and Stores
are now at the Head of Elk. We have imjiresscd and sent to him every
Vessel now at Baltimore and this jjlace, and fear tliey will not be sufficient.
The Marquis has recjuested us to procure IJoats to land Cannon and Troops,
which will not be in our Power, but we ho])C you will be able to obtain any
number he may want. General Wayne, with a second Detachment from
the Pen.nsylvania Line, is expected at the Head of Elk, and he is to
join the Marquis, as soon as Vessels can be procured to transport him."
(I P\i. Cal. S/afc Pa/'crs, -^61.)
Thomas Shn Tee's will, dated the 6th of November, and probated, in
Frederick county, Md., the 15th of November, 1S19, was as follows:
In the Name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Sim Lee of Frederick County Maryland,
being at present in full pos?e>5ion o^. my memory .ind understanding, but being intrrm in
health and considering the uncertninty of life and the certainty of death do iu'reby make,
publish and declare this my last will autl testamerjt, hereby revoking all oth.ers by me here-
tofore made.
Imprimis — I direct my executors hereinafter named to bury my tmdy decently and
after the expenses of my intennent are paid to discharge my just debts with honom^ and
ju.-tice from the fund hereafter appointed.
Item — I give and devise my negroes in maimer foliov^ing : To my son \MlIiain Lee his
heirs and assigns, in adrlition to tliose i liave given him during my lifetime these negroes and
their increase — that is to say — Po'. ly the daughter of Charity, and her children, Een,
Matilda and Clurity — Cis the daughter of Charity and licr children, John, Lliza, Jane
and .Sarah — Molly and her children Fri^ and Abraham — Nancy and Clem the children of
weaver Tom and Nelly and old Michael the brother of Aroui, in all fifteen negroes.
Item, — I likewise give and devise to my daughter Eliza Horsey and to her heirs and
assigns in additi-.n to those I have given her during my lifetime, these negroes and their
increase namely — .Anna the wife of BIac'.-:smilh Will and her children Suckey, Juliet, Nancy,
Michael, Kate, Mariah and Sal,. — L>ick imd his wife Sal and their daughter Rach.aol a.id her
children, Thomas, Steplien and Iletsey, — .Amos the son of Charity — Isaac and his wife,
Grace and their children, Isaac and Lucy — Will and his wife Fanny — Pat and his children
Ignatius, Basil, Nace arid John, and i'oliy the wife of Igi;ati\is and their children, — and
Tommy the son cif Weaver Tom, and Nelly and Teresa the daughter of Molly and her
daughter Nancy — together with all the future increase of the said negroes to ray said
daughter Eliza Horsey her heirs and assigns.
Item — I likewise give and devise to my s-jn John Lee and to his heir^ and assigns the
negroes nanieel ai following : Len and his wife Peg, and their children Kachael, Philip,
Suckey, Mary, Peek, Matilda and her child Petsey — Harry and his wife Mary an<l bct.^ey
the Mother of Mary the Children of Aaron and Poll, — Saraii and her su.n Aaron — Anna,
Mary, Nick, and Stephen, and his wife Lucy and tin ir children — Bistiller, Charles and his
wife Petsey — Xed and John the sons of Ambrose, I'humas the son of Stephen and Lucy —
Peter the son of Piacksmiih Will, Aarvju ajid his wife Rachucl and their children now in the
possession of my son John Lee — -Peck and her two sons Robert and Henry — Jack and his
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3o8 LEF. OF VIRGIN r A. y i]
wife Nancy and their daughter Nelly, Rachael the wife of Bernard and their children
Stephen, lulianini I-Jernard z:iA Sarah — Michael and his v.-ife Sissry and their children, Alice,
Stephen, Nancy, Kate, and llonry, — Sal the wife of house Charles — and Dick the son of
loan until his term of service exj ire?, together with all the future increase of the said negroes
to my said ?nn John Lee and h's h.eirs and ae^signs.
Item — I here'r.'y declare v. lo he n-.y will, and desire that the follo\ving named negroes
shall be considered as manuaniled and set free from all manner of service to my heirs —
namely — Bernard the huiband of Kachael — Aaron and his wife Pol — and house Charles the
husband of Sal — which said La-t named negroes shall be maintained and taken good care of
by my son John Lee during their natural lives if they think proper to live with them — also,
weaver Tom and his wife NcP.y M'ho shall be maintained during their natural lives by my
daughter Eliza Horsey, if thcv liiiak prfiper to live with her — also Teresa the wife of Amos
and her children — and tlie bey J"hn the son of Beck -whom I direct my executors to have
bound to some goo<l trade until he readies the age of eighteen years and from that period to
serve my son J(jha Lee until he attains the age of twenty-one yeais thai is to say, until the
first day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven
from which time it is my will and desire that he be set free and manimiiited.
Item — I hereby constitute and ai>point rny ;ons William Lee and John Lee and my
son-indaw Outerbridge Horsey of the Stale of Delaware my executois to t'ds my last will
and tcstarjTcnt.
Item— 1 give and devi-e to rry ,-on Thomas I.,ee ;>nd his v.dfe Eleanore Lee, and the
sui vivor during their natural livcs the following lots of ground in Georgetown — that is to
say— one half of my lot of grcamd fronting on the South side of Road street containing in
the whole six acres, more or less, out bounded by Road and Valley street to be laid off by
myoecutor- — Lots mentioned, one, two, three, four riid twenty three fronting on Mont-
gomery street sixty six, ninety f.jur, riinoty live and ni;:ety six fronting oii Washington street
sixty seven, sixty eight and sixty r.ine fronting on Water Street, seventy nine and eighty
fronting en Virginia Avenue, and th.irty six frontirig on (xreene Street all the said last num-
bered lots of ground lying south vi IJridge street and east of Jefferson street, and after the
death of my son Thi^mas Lee and his v.dfe Eleanore I,ee 1 then give and bequeath the said
lots of ground in Georgetown in fte simple to be divided share and share alike among the
cliildren of n\y said son Thomas Lee.
Item — I give and bequeath to my son Archibald Lee his heirs and assigns the follow-
ing lots of ground in Georgetovv-i.-— irambered tidr'y eiL'.iil and sixty fnir on Was^dngton
street thirty four, thirty tive and forty live on Greene street, all which lots of ground are
situate between Bridge and Water sireets and numbers nine and ten fronting on tlie south
side of Needwood sireet as a coD;periS:tio;! for the iiegjocs I have given tc< rny other chil-
dren.
Item — I give and devise to nay executors and to tiie survivors and survivor of them and
to their heirs and assigns tliese several lots of ground in Georgetown. — Lots numbered
twenty two, thirty one, and forty six fronting on Greene street, forty seven, forty eight forty
nin.e and hfty fr,..nting on Water street seventy four, seventy hve, seventy eight, ninety one,
ninety two arid ninety tb.ree south .->f W.\ter street and east of Washington street, and one
half of my Kit of ground contait'.iri'j in the whole six acres more or less, l>ing between High
and Valley streets to hold the "^ame lot:, of ground in trust and for the use and benefit of my
son Archibald Lee; provided that my executors shall pay lo my said son Archibald Lee the
rents, issues and profits of the said lots of ground, and provided further if my executors
shall in their discretion think proper to determine the said trust in any event, they are hereby
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STRATKOKI) LINE, FIllH f;ENERATION. 309
authorized and empowered so to do, — and the fee sinijile in the said lo's of ground shall in
that ca>e ve>t absolutely in i-iy '^aid son Archih.\M I.oe.
Item — I give and devise to my executors ai.d tlie survivors ord survivor of them and
their heirs and assigns these severr.l lots of ground i!\ Georgetown — thai is to say — nineteen
fronting on Needwood street, sixty three, sixty five, thirty seven, sixty, thirty arjd forty front-
ing on Washington street, south of I'ridge strett ar.d all the lots numbered seventy two,
seventy three, eighty one, eighty tv.o, eighty three, eighty f(jur, eighty five, eighty six, ninety
seven, ninety eight, ninety nine and one hundred, south of Water street, to hold the same
in trust and for the Uie au.l bj:u":nt of my several grandaughters tlie children of my daughter
Mary C. Ringgold in manner foliovy-ing — lots numbered nineteen sixty and sixty three to
Mary Digges Galloway Kinggoldj lots numbered thirty nine and fony and twenty tv/o
south of Water street to Eli^a Lee Ringgold, lot'"- numbered tbiny seven, sixty five, and
seventy three to Anna Maria King^o'd, and the rrra.ur.ing lots in common among my said
three grandaughters and Sarah BrooVie Lee Ring-old their sister, until they shall respectively
arrive at the age of twenty-nve years, when it is my will and desire that this trust shall
cease and the fee simple vest in my said grandaugb.Lers absolutely, provided that my said
executors sli-ill in the meantime pay to ray oaid grandaughters, in ci^ual pjrtions, the rents
issues and prof.is of the said lots of ground, and picvided furthei- if my executors shall in
their discretion think proper to determine the sai 1 trust sooner in the event of marriage or
other contingency they are hereby nutbori/:ed and empovrered so to do.
Item — I give and beciuealh to my grand-so;: Lerfiruniu Ringgold, the son of my daughter
Mary C. Ringgold the following lots of ground in Georgetown in fee simple or when he
attains the age of twenty one _\-e.'r,-,— namely all my ground fronting on the north side of
West street between Greene and ^b^ntgomery streets, and running liack nortii one hundred
and eighty feet.
Item — I give and device to my grand-children Maiy Digges Lee the daughter of iriy
sou Thomas Lee, Mary Digges Gr'.IIoway Ringgold, Molly Digges Lee raid Thomas Sim
Lee the children of my son William Lee, Mary Elicn Horsey and Thomas Sim Lee Horsey
to be equally divided among ny said six grand-ohildrcn, one half of my square of lots in
Georgetown fronting on the sou:h siiie of Staddart street between Greene and Montgoniery
streets, and running back south i.ne hundred and eighty feet — in fee simple.
Item—I give and devi>e all my real estate in Frederick Courjty State of Maryland, to
my sons William Lee and Jol.n Lee and to my daughler Eliza Hoii':y, to them, their heirs
and assigns as tcnaius in co'.;i;a>jn and not as joint terjants, sulijert however to the payinont
of all my just debts, and in case my said sons William Lee and John Lee and my daughter
Eliza Horsey should "not agree concerning the division of the said estate, though it is my
earnest desire they should, 1 r..::£i;nate and a;'j>oint my friends Joseph Smith, Joseph Parson
and Baker Jamison Es'juires or any two of tliem to divide the said real estate equally between
my said sons William Lee and Julm Lee and my s;iid daughter Eli/a Horsey having regai'd
to quantity and qualitv of kind ; and my will and <le;:re is that the divi:-ion or allotr.ient
whereon the dwelling house a:;d. other adjacent improvements shall stand or be, shall be
assigned to my son John Lee and that he shall pay an equivalent in money on reasonable
credit for the improvements to my said son William Lee and my daughter Eliza Horsey, and
in case the parties cannot agree concerning the value of the said improvements, my desire
and request is that my said friends Joseph Smith, Joseph Parson and Paker Jamison, Esquires,
or any two of them shall value the same, whose valuation shall be final and obligatory on all
the parties — ami whereas, it is mv intention that the several devises heiein contained, other
than the deviie of my real e.^tate in Frederick Connty shall not be subject to the payment of
3IO LEE OF VIRGINIA. .V
my debts or any part of then, 1 hereby order and direct that all my personal estate not
herein specifically beqiienthetl, shall be first ajiplied to the payment of my just debts, and
such p<3rtioM thereof as shall remain unsatisfied out of the undevised part of my personal
estate, I hereby direct to be paid out of my real e:-tate in Frederick County aforesaid, and
for this prapose ch.-uge tlie snltl real estate with tl)e payment thereof.
Item — I yWe w.vl d:/.i.-e ' .vo iliousand uul'nis t" iu> executors in tru-l— of which sum
one thousand d.'lhirs is to l.>e exj ended in the coii^^truciiini of a Romari (?athoiick. church in
the vicinity of my farm Xeedwood, and the otlicr tliuusand dollars to be vested in the funds
by my saivd executors as a suppori f^i the said church— also one hundred dollars to be dis-
tributed amon;T the poor of tin;- neighborhood; and also seven hundred and fifty dollars to
make certain payments fur wiii'.di 1 shall leave a memorand-mi to govern ray executors.
Item — I fjive and devise ihe debt due me on note by Mr. Tench Ringgold amounting
to upwards o*" five hundred dolhivs, to my executors in trust, and for t'le u^-e and benefit of
my grandur.gliter Mary Digges dalloway Ringgold when she arrives at the age of twenty
five years.
Item — I give and devi.^e to my executors for the payment of tlie af.nesaiil legacies the
follovv-ing lo's of ground in Georgetown — number.s thirty tv/o — thirty three — twenty — twenty
one— twenty four and twenty five, fronting on Greene, Needwood and NToatgomery streets,
south of Bridge Street with, fall pov, er to sell said lois of ground for that purpose. Signed
and sealed lVc.
The fo!lu\vin.T data ccincc-rning tlie births, deaths, marriages, etc., in
the family of (Governor Lcc were kind!}- co|iied from his Bible by his grand-
daughter, Mrs. Islary Digges (Lee) Gouvcrneur.
Thomas -Sim Lee v.ns married, on the 2-jlh of October, 1771, to !^Iarv,
only daughter of Ignalias Digges, of Prii-,ce George's county, Md., and
Ehzabeth I'arkharn, his v.\\c ; she was born in August, 1745, and died on
the 2ist of January, 1S05. They had issue eight children :
i, Ignatius 'a born th.e 3d of August, 1772; he died at Liege, where he
had been for several years for his education. No date.
ii, Tkoma.- ^ See 40. . ' ■
iii, ^V II. Li AM '. See jr.
iv, I\L\RV C}{RISTIAN^ born the 2 2d of February, ly/;"^' died the 2 7ih of
November, 1S13 ; raarried, the icth of April, 1799, "I'cncli (born 6th
March, T776), the fourth son of Thomas and Mary (Galloway) Ring-
- gold, and had: i, Mary Digges Galloway, born 5th of October, 1800.
2, Benjamin, born 4th of October, 1S02. 3, Eliza Lee, born nth
of February, 1806. ^, f-Sarah Brooke, born iith of Ma\-, 1S09. 5,
Anna i\raria, born 29th of January, iSii. Of these children, Sarah
Brooke Ringgold mari-ied, in 1828, Jc'hn ^Moylan Thomas, of Mary-
land, and had eiglit children ; one, a son, John Moylan Thonias, mar-
ried Adele Ingersoll, of i'hiladelphia, and has two daughters. Anna
Maria Ringgold, the fifih child, married, in November, 1S29, Dr.
.7 1.''. V' '^"
■■7,1 1
1 ■,.,■,,! ■:. !'.'->■■■>
I , i' . 1 > ■
.■rM;'/:i
! ■ ., i > '
i). '. .bl"!-i
STRATFORD LINE. FIFTH GENERATION.
3"
Henry Hunt, of A\'ashington, and had Mary Lee Hunt, who married
Gen. Kobcit Ransom, C. S. A., of North Carolina. Tench Ringgold,
after his wife's death, married Mary Aylett, daughter of Thomas Lud-
well and raniiy (Carter) Lee, of "Coton," Loudoun county, Va.
V, Archibald'^, born 22d of July, 1778; died 1st ofxV})ril, 1781.
vi, Archibald*^, second of the name, was born 20th of April, 1781 ; died
in July, 1839, unmarried.
vii, Eliza^ born the 30th of April, 1783; died the 5th of July, 1S62 ;
married, i6th of October, 181 2, Outerbridge Horsey, of Delav.-are,
and formerly U. S. Senator from that State. They had: i, Mary
Ellen, born 1S13. 2, Ann Caroline, born, 18 15. 3, Thomas Sim
Lee, born 181 7, and died aged 18. 4, William Outerbridge Horsey,
born 2Sth of February, 1819, and married Anna Carroll, and has issue.
viii, John ®. See 42.
THE DIGGES FAMUA^
John Diggs, Sheriff of Kent, teu'ip. Henry IV., bore this coat-of-arms,
as may be seen in the cloisters of Christ Church, Canterbury: o.ViV.i, on a
cross argent, five eaglets sable (Hasted's Kent')} From " Roger de Milden-
hall dictus Digge," temp. King John,
was descended Sir Dudley Digges, who
built Chilhani Castle in 161 6. This Sir
Dudley, once British Ambassador to
Russia, iVL P., and Master of the Rolls,
married INL^ry, a daughter of Sir Thomas
Kemp, of Chilliaui. Kent; tlieu' fourth
son, Edward, who died the 15th of
March, 1675-6, aged 55 years, arrived
in Virginia about 1650; in the latter
year, he ])urcha;scd some 1,200 acres,
fronting on the York River, from Cap-
tain John West. 'i'liis was the fanious
"Bellfield" estate, which remained in
the family for several generations. Here he emplo\ed two Armenians,
skilled in the business, to cultivate the silk-worm.
From this Edward Digges tiiere has descended a notable line of dis-
tinguished men. And he himself was a man of prominence, having been
^JlSs^%
'^<<,'^^r?
^M.
^
' The print giver, here is a copy of t>i£ aims carved on the tomb of Dudley Digges, 1710, of" BellficIJ,"
York county, which was kindly loar.ed by Mr. Lyon G. Tyler, President of WiUI.-im and Mary College,
WiUiamsburg.
312 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
member of the Council, Anditor-General, and Governor (1656-68) ; later,
he was sent as Colonial agent to Encrlaiid.^ Ills wife, Elizabeth, is sup-
posed to have been a sister of Col. ]ohn Page, the progenitor of that Vir-
ginia family. His tombstone states that he had six sons and seven daugh-
ters, of wlioin only five ar-- known: Williani, Edward, Mary, Anne, and
Dudley. Col. William, elricst son and heir, moved to Charle? county,
Md., about 1679-S0, and married Mrs. Elizabeth (Sewall) Wharton, the
daughter of Henry Sewall of Patuxent, Md.. and Jane Lovs-e, his wife.
Col. Willian. became a member of the ^hiryland Council, and, dying in
169S, left a large family, named in his will : Edward, Wi'liam. Charles,
Dudley, Joh^i. Xicholas, Jane, Elizabeth, Anive, and Mary. The Mary-
land family are descended horn these children, but they have not been
clearly traced.
The Virginia branch of this family appear to be chiefly descended from
Dudley, the youngest (known'} son of Gov. Edward and Elizabeth (Page)
Digges ; he also held many v-'-iviiions, having l.'ecn member of th.e Council,
A-uditor and Surveyor-General. He died the iSth of January, 17 10— 11 ;
his wife vras Elizaljetli, da-igl-tcr of Col. Williaui Cole, of " Polthorpe,"
^Varwick county, by wliorn he had four children : Cole, Edward, Dudley,
and Elizabetli. Of these, tlie eldest, Col. Cole Digges, was a Burgess and
member of the Council for many }ears. H'e m.arried Elizabeth, daughter
of Dr. Henry Pov,-er, of Vci k county, and had is^ue : Edward, ^^'iHiam,
Dudley, ]\Iary, and Susannah. 'I'he eldest son, Col. Edward, v/as Burgess,
Justice, Count}- Lieutenant, etc. ; he married Anne, ''daughter of the late
Nathaniel Harrison of the Couixil " (/''^r. GiUct-fc). and left surviving issue:
William, Cole, Edward, Mary, Thomas, Elizabeth, Hannah, Anne, Sarah,
Dudley, and Charles. William inherited the family estate, ** Bellfield,"
w^hich he sold, in 17S7, to ^^'illi;Ju Waller : he was Justice ?.\^d Slieriff of
Vork county. me;r:bcr uf the Convention.^ of 1 ; 75-76, later Sheriff and
Delegate from Warwick. He n;arried his cousin, Elizabeth, daughter of
his uncle, William Digges. of ■'• r>jnbigl-i," and leu three children. His
brother, Edward, married (inli June, 1775) Elizabeth, daughter of Col.
Thomas Gaskins, Sr. , of Xorthiunberland, and sister of Anne, who was
the second wife of Rich.ard Henry Lee ; he moved to Fauo^uier county,
where he has many descendants. His eldest son, also named Edward,
married Anne l-^ustace Gaskins, v,ho was descended i'rom William luistace
and .-\nn Lee, daughter of Hancock Lee. (Condensed from /['. auii AI.
Quarterly, I. S3, ct seq.)
' For an intcrcstirg jketch of Gov. Euward D;£j:es, by Mr. R. A. I'rock, see I'tr^initt atui I'sr-
finians.
ll-J
lo
STRATFORlJ LINE, FIFTH CENERAIION. 313
Col. I'HiLir Lee.
29. PhilH'-', son of John Lee* (Philip '\ Richard ^ RichaicP) and
Susannah Smilh, liis wife, born ; died ; married Mary Jacqueline
Smith, and had three dani^diters (as named in a deed of 21st November,
iSoi, by their aiint. Mary Smith) : Mary Smith, Susannah Hancock, and
"I'hilicia" Sally Lee. On 226 of January, 1S12, ^^lary J. Lee deeded a
slave to her grand=':^n. Piiilip Lee Anthony, son of James C. Anthony and
^Lary Smith Anthony, of Richmond. The calalo,L;iie of the Moravian Sem-
inary, Bethlehem, Peni^a., states that "Mary S. Lee, daughter o[ I^hilip
Lee, of Westmoreland county, Va., was born 31st December, 17SS; mar-
ried, in 1808, James C. Anthony, of Richmond;" she entered the Semi-
nary in 1799. Phili}! Lee lived near Nominy, AVestmoreland county; he
\Vas generally styled, •'' Col. Phil. Lee of Nominy."
Thomas Lldwell Lee.
30. Thomas Ludwei.l^, eldest son of Thomas Ludv.-ell Lee* (I'hoi.iias ^,
Richard^, Richard ') and Mary A}le:t, his wife, was born ; died in tlie
fall of 1S07; niarried I'anny, daughter of Robert W. Carter, of '-'Sabine
LLill," Richmond county (Ov'/'V). Mr. Lee resided at " Coton," near
Leesl)urg, Loudoun, cov.nty. These two following letters were written by
him to his kinsman and executor, George Carter, of " Oatlands," Loudoun
count}' :
"Coton, 7th June, 1806. My dear Sir, 1 was delighted on going to
the door to meet Sijlomon yesterday evening, to be told by him that he
waited on you, as I w:is sure I should hear something certain of you, which
I have not done for many months. But even now you say nothing of your
hi.Tikli. which I wp.'^ ao,\ious to know particularly cif ; since I wrote you I
have, thank Cud, recovered my strength and llesh in the most astonishing
manner. I have been eiiat>!ed to ride out three or four times and feel as if
I should recover my farmer health. P'or four montlis I was lingering in a
very knv state of health and apprehending an affection of my Breast, when. I
was taken with a mo^t violent and acute pleurisy which tho' at its height was
very dangerous, }'et I sincerely hope has had th.e effect of carrying off all
those symi>toms of i>reast complaint that threatened me before, and Doctor
Sim thinks the Sweet Sju-jng trip will place me ])erfectly in statu (pio. I
feel very grateful indeed for the jiains }'ou have taken to have my carriage
made; your descrij/don of the one that can be had for 230 dollars is
exactly suited to my idea of conveidence. I will take the liberty of stating
my choice in several respects tliat correspond Nvith yours, or are not meii-
i .'.i.i'.OJll
-. I 1 Mi. »;-
3M
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
tioned. ist, the width to be 3 feet 2 or 3 inches, the handle plain, a glass
in preference to a Blind, 2 seats, one occasionally to take out, as Mrs. Lee
when I travel with my taniily will usually ride with me; in the spaces on
each side of the door and the sunken place in the bottom of the carriage to
be contrived of tui or any other material most proper for carrying provis-
ions and liijuors of different kinds, as they may be best suited to ; you know
the convenience of such things and of course can direct them so as that I'm
sure they will suit me; the space under the drivers feet I wished to be filled
by a good strong travelling trunk as large as it \^■ill admit, as it would be
difficult here to get a trunk to fit it exactly ; the space under his seat may
be filled by a Box as you describe which will answer for carrying his bag-
gage or anything else, this as well as the cases for carrying provisions
should all take out and have locks to them. The place for carrying a Mat-
trass on top is such a convenience that I cannot forego it (altho' the price
is high) as I entend to carry one and will thank you to let me know the
■size of the mattrass that it will carry as mine is to be made in the family.
The axletrees to be of Iron ; my harness have what are called v.-oodcock
eyes and of course the swingle trees must have Iroij hooks. As to colour,
any one that is likely to last well I should prefer, but that as well as every-
thing else respecting it I am willing to abide liy your discretion. Let me
know the precise Sum when all my notions are complied with and when it
will certainly lie ready for delivery that I may be prepared. If I had
written to you yesterday I should have told you that my pros[)ect for Crop
on this farm was vastly greater than ever before ; there has been a worm
some time discovered in the neighborhood of Leesburg, whose numbers are
incredible, and destroys ever^- field of v/heat into which they enter; this
was only discovered on mine yesterday evening attended by a fly that my
overseer thinks is destroying the wheat also. God knows where its ravages
will end; indeed the weather for several days past has been tavorable for
introducing the rust, to which one of my fields will be particularly liable.
I have a thousand and ten thousand things to say to you, but must defer
them till we meet,, which I hojie will be soon; spend your home with me
till your house is ready for your reception. God bless you is the wish of
your sincere friend."
" P. S. I must add to the trouble I have already given you by
requesting you to have made for me a pair of best Calf skin Boots of
British leather if it be had, if not of the best American, with white
tops and such as will not soil my stockings. Solomon brings a boot for
measure."
" My dear Sir, I rec'd )our letter of the uth yesterday, I am well
A a.i.i'W;
■:. .-] -.iij
:'.<:, ■■: 'j-:r,U
■I', ■ ■•!.:
i ! ''f) I; ;v/
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^:ii il!
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 3x5
pleased indeed to hear that you are relieved from your most terrible and
painful disease, and to me, its being done without taking Physick would
enhance the value of the remedy ten thousand fold, for I am tired to death
of Pliysick CKcept tb.at of the kitchen, which now suits me tolerably well,
for thank God I have a good appetite and am getting tolerably well. And
now that we are on this subject, I must mention my particular wish that
some part of the carriage may be devoted to carrying some [food], suppose
the Box under the servants seat is laid off in different apartments for the
purpose, as I had rather give up the well, the apartments might be lined
witli tin so that the grease would not penetrate ; my idea is that meat, IJread,
Cake and such like matters should be carried distinctly. I wish the cases
to carry common quart fjottles, which in an over set would not be so likely
to be broken and if broken may be easily re[ilaced ; the colour you have
chosen I should prefer ; if Brass clamijs do not cost more than Iron for the
trunk I should prefer tlicm, with my name and Coton underneath marked
witli Brass nails ; all these little matters you wall please to direct as you see
fit, but of all things it is necessary that I should receive it as early as pos-
sible. Doctor Sim is most pressing that I should set out by the 15th of
July, however I must now wait for the carriage as I could no more ])erform
the Journey on liorse Back in my present situation than 1 could perform any
other impos.-ibibt\- ; and 1 have the most implicit confidence in your good-
ness to have it made as quickly as is possible. As to the painting 1 can't
expect it to be done in the best manner in so short a time, but I hope he
will do it as well as the time admits. Before you leave Baltimore I will
thank you to know the exact sum I am to pay for the carriage, trunk, &c.
I wish to Crod your anairs could have permitted you to have gone with me,
not only for the satisfaction I should have enjoyed but it might have been
of vast service to you in giving the finishing to restoring your health.
Betsy is very m;;ch alarmed at the ai»prehension of her letter to Miss Maud
having miscarried ; she will with great pleasure commence a correspond-
erice with her now altho' her letters are first to be read by the Lady Abbess.
This cursed worm that alarmed the wliole country so much, thank God, has
scarcely injured me in the least ; probably ten Bushels would cover the
whole loss, which deduction from by far the best Crop 1 ever had is small
indeetl ; hail storm and rust apart, I count v/ith great certainty on 500
Barrels of Flour, exclusive of overseers share and seed. This you'll say is
a very good Crop tor my poor farm. ... I wish very much to see ) ou that
we niay, auAong other things, read my will over together that you may un-
derstand my desires as perfectly as possible."
i: ,iitv/ : ■ u j'/iv "111.. ' c.
■ ; :■>
3l6 LEE OF VIRCIINIA.
Mr. Lee's will, dated the 8th of June, 1806, and probated in Loudoun
the 14th of October, 1807, was as follows :
In the mime of God, Amen. I Thomas l.udwtll I.ee of Coton in the county of Lou-
doun and. state of Virginia being weak in healtli luit of perfect di.-i:).')sing mind, do make
and ai'])oint ihi; my Li^t will arid tcstaTnent in the words following;, to wit: It is rny will
and desire that ray body sluvahl be decently interred by tlie side of my dearly loved child
Thomas Ludwell Lee dec'd without any expense that is not absolutely necessary and as to
my worldly estate with which it has pleased God to bless me, I give and bequeath in the
following manner. 1st. I desire all my land in the county of Staftord known by the name
of " Berry Hill," all my land lying on the west side of Goose Creek in the county of Lou-
doun, purchased of Tiiomas Swana who purchased of Carter's Executors, together with the
mill seat appcrt;^ining thereto and 20 acres on the east side of said Creek to be laid out in
the most convenient manner for the mill, all my lots in the town of MatiUaville at the great
fiills of Potomac, devised to me l)y the will of my uncle Francis Lightfoot Lee, and all other
property that it may hereafter appear I am entitled to, but have not now piossession, to my
Executrix and Executor hereinafter named, to be by them sold as soon as may be for the
payment of all my just debts and the balance if any after discharging the same to be applied
as is hereafter mentioned.
2d. I give and bequeath all the residue of my estate real and personal together %\ith
any balance that may arise from the sale of the property above mentioned except as hereafter
excepted to uiy luo^t ahectionate and dearly beloved v.ife lanny Lee for and during her
natural life or as long as she may continue my v.-idow fur her support and that of our dear
children, but should she again marry then I bequeath to her during her natural life the use
of my mill property, now in the possession of Obadiah Clifford under lease, and the land
on the opposite side of the Creek, which I purchased of Benjamin Edwards, but if the
said mill property and land should be sold and the money placed at interest, as she is here-
after by this v.-i!l authorized ti> do, then I give and bequeath to her for and during her natural
life the wliole intere-t arising from the sum.
3d. It is my will and desire that ony time \\hilc my beloved wife remains my widow
she shall have tlie power and is hereliy authorized to sell and convey all my mill property
as above described with the land I bought of Benjan^in Edwards and as many as ten acres
of land to be added to the lot at present laid uil' for Obadiah Clifford in a manner convenient
for the mill, the m<oney arising from the sale to be put to interest and well secured by
mortgage on landed property ; she is hereby authuri/ed and empowered to sell all my land
on the east sidei'f Goo-e Creek, iidjoiuing the land (_>f Ludwell Lee Esqr. and my late brothers
heirs as well as some other persons, on which I have lately esl.ablished a f-iiia by the name
of " Forest Farm " and on wiiich there are several leased hits, the money arising from the
sale to be vested as the money arising from the mill is directed to be vtsted, but the princi-
pal not to be used upon any condition unless the profits of the other part of my estate
should be insutncient after maintaining my family to pay my daughters when they are mar-
ried /"looo which I de^ire ma\ be paid to each of tliem as a marriage portion; she is also
hereby authorized and empowered to sell any of the slaves I die possessed of and vest the
money arising from the sale as is directed in the la=t clause, or in other slaves as she may
deem most conducive to the interests of our children.
4th. My will and desire is that Coton Farm, with all the land annexed to it, except the
ten acres adjoining the mill lot which my beloved wife is hereafter aulhori/ed to sell, with
all the slaves, furniture, stock, farming utensils, carriages and every description of prop-
.1 •! 'ii ; ■ 'ii 1* ■
;■ ..•, ,,((
STRATFORD LINE, FUTH GENERATION. 317
erty shall be kept together for the sole use and benefit of my unmarried daughters, who are
immediately on the death or marriage of their dear mother to possess and enjoy tjie same,
but my express desire i^ that none of tliem live in the family more than one month after
their marriage and from the time of tlieir marriage that tbey forfeit all their rights of prop-
erty in the same ; after the death or man iage of my Ian single daughter, I desire that the
whole property above mentioned should be sold and the money arising from it to be equally
divided among all my daughters or their heirs.
5th. My will and desire is that if my dear wife during her life or widowhood should
not have sold my mill property and land on Goose Creek, as I have authorized her to do,
that then the same shall be sold by my Executor or in case of his death by the Guardians
of my children, the money to be C'lually divided among my daugluers, the married ones to
be charged in the division with their m.-irriage portion of /"looo if they have received it, or
so much of it as tliey have rec'd.
6th. It is my will and desire that my Executriv. and E>cecutor pay to Landou Carter
son of George Carter dec'd, in case he arrives at the age of twenty one years, or is married,
as much money as will amount to one third of the sum arising from the sale of the land
and mill seat on the west side of Goose Creek, which they are before authorized to sell for
the payment of my debts, but no interest to be chargeable on the same except from the time
of his coming of age or being married to the time of payment.
7th. Having made in my ojiinion ample provisions for the payment of all my debts, it
is my desire that no Inventory or Appraisement be made cf my personal estate but the same,
as it is, may go inuncdiately to the uses in the will expre-sed.
Sth. 1 do hereby constitute my aiTectionate and dearly beloved wife lanny Lee and my
worthy friend George Carter Esqr. of Oatlands, Executrix and Executor of this my last will
and testament and desire that they may be permitted to qualify to the same without giving
any other security for their Execution of the trust I have reposed in them than their own
iJonds. Signed, ^Vc, lVc.
Thomas Ludwell and Fanny (Carter) Lee had eight children :
i, TiiOMAS Ludwell'', who died in early inl^mcy.
ii, Eli/aukth^ wh.o niarried her cousin, St. Leger Landon Carter, the
second son of Landon Carter, of '• Cleve.s, ' and -Mns. Lliz.i (Carter)
Thornton, his wife, who was a daughter of Robert W. Carter. They
apparenil) had no children.
iii, Mary .Avleft", niarried Tench Ringgold, l)eing his second wife (see
2S, iv) ; they had issue, names unkiiown to writer; anungst tlieui, a
daughter from whom the Hon. Ldward 1). White, late L^ S. Senator
from Louisiana and jnesent Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme
Court, is descended.
iv, Winifred Beale'', married William Lrent, Jr., of " Richland," Staf-
ford county ; he was the son of Daniel Carroll and Anne Kenton (^Lee)
Brent, and a first cousin of his wife. (See 17, iv.)
V, Fanny Carter^, died single.
Xr*
■A "'A
'.". '<> "[■>»
'!'•
' ; ^.,! .r,<\:
3l8 LEE OF VIRGINIA. " '" ■
vi, Ann Lucinda**, married John M. McCarty, son of Col. Daniel aiicl
Sarah (Mason) McCarly, of "Cedar Grove," Fairfax county.
vii, Catharine*, died sinL^de.
viii, Sydney '^, was probably a daughter; said to have died single. There
is no allusion to a second son in his father's will ; he nicntions one,
Thomas Ludwell, deceased, but refer.-, to his li\-ing children as if al!
were daughters.
George Lee.
31. George ^ the third son of Thomas Ludwell Lee* (Thomas ^
Richard-, Richard') and Mars' Aylett, his wWc ; born ; died in 1S05,
probably in January; married Evelyn Ryrd, daughter of Robert and JSLiria
(Carter) Beverley, of "Wakefield," Culpeper county. His v^-ill, dated the
2Sth of October, 1S02, and probated, in Loudoun, nth of February, 1S05,
was as follows : ' .
I George Lee of Farmwe'.l, Loudoun county and State of Virginia, do make and ordain
this my last will and testament, signed with my name and sealed and datad this rSth day of
October, 1S02. lit. It is my desire thiit all my ju.-t del. is shall be paid for Vnich pur-
pose I leave ai! the jroj^erty that may come to me fvo:n the Instate of my broth.er Wm. A.
Lee dec'd, sli >uhl tliit property toc'^tlicr with the rents and crops of my own estate not be
sutHcient to p.iy my (iebt>, I empower my Executor and E.xecutrix hereinafter mentioned to
dispose of such of my properly a.s they may think proper for that purpose. 2nd. I give to my
wife Evelyn Byrd Lee all my esiate both real and personal (after my just debts are paid)
during her widowbcKjd for the support of herself and my children and during her life the
following negroes, P'rank, Caroline, Peter, Sam, Sail, nud Ned, this last bequc-^t is made in
lieu of the n:grocs I sold that were settled on her and as I suppose there is a dilurence in
the value of the negroes against her, it is my desire and I hereby empower my Executor
(hereinafter mentioned) to pay my u-ife should she marry again ^^500 of tlie lust money
collected from the estate left m}" son George.
3rd. 1 give and bequeath to my daughter Maria Carter Lee at the marriage of her
mother or when she arrives at the age of sixteen, i,oco acvis of land in tiic co. nty of I.ou-
dou;i, to 1 e l.tid on ~;i the we^t side of the O.x Road and adjoining the land of Tvlr. Ludwell
Lee, my brother Thomas L. Lee, to be bounded by the Ox Road as far as is necessary to
give the (|uantity of i.ooo acres. I request my Exec;i^Jr to iiave the above I;!".-.: laid ott as
Si)un as is po-^sible which survey mu^t be binding on my hciis. I also leave her at the death
of her mother my two iiegroe?, Patrick and Nelly.
4th. I give an<3 bequeath to my son George Lee at the marriage or ileath. of his mother
all my lands in the county of Loudoun not settled on licr, or given to his sister; and at his
mother's death 1 give and bc'jueath to my son George Lee the whole of the projierty settled
oil his mother, b!,tii real and personal (except the negroes I sold and the houseliold and
kitchen furLiiime wliich I leave to his mother) and I also leave my son tleorge Lee the six
negroes left to his mother during her life; after her death. I leave niy son George residuary
legatee of this my la-t will and testament. I leave my brother Thomas L. Lee of Coton as
Execut(jr and my \v ife Evelyn l!. Lee a^ Executrix to this v.ill and leave the two above
named persons guardians to my eliddren u'ltil my son Luiorge Lee arrives at the age of seven
I'i in jvj'i.'
■"i:' ; -nit
^•'• /
■.-. I
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENF,RATION.
319
years, then it i% rny will and desire that my Brother Thos. L. Lee should have entire direction
of him, signed, staled and dated the day and yf^ar above mentioned.
George and Evelyn Byrd (Beverley) had, as mentioned in his will,
only two children ; apparently the daughter was the elder.
i, Maria Carter'', was not 16 in 1S02.
ii, Georc;e®. See 43.
THE BEVERLEYS.
The Beverle)-s are traced back as far as the time of King John, in
the records of the towi; of Beverley in Yorkshire. In 14 Edv>ard III.,
Thomas de Beverley was appointed to superintend the fortifications of the
town ; many other references show the promi-
nence of this family in that county. About 1662,
Robert Beverley sold his estate near Be\erley and
emigrated to Yirginia. He arrived about 1663,
and settled in ^Middlesex cou;ity, of which he v.-as
a Justice in 1673, and perhajis earlier. Before
that time (in 1670) he had been elected (^lerk of
the Hous'j of Burgesses, and seems to have held
the position, almost continuous!}-, until his death,
which occurred on tlie i6th of Marcli, 17-87.
Evidently he soon became r man of great influ-
ence in tlie Colony, especially with the Burgesses
and the people; on the other hand he ap[;eavs to
have been continually at feud with the governors after Berkeley's departure.
While Berkeley was governor, Beverley was a staunch friend and supj)orter of
hi-i go'.-ernmcnt ; assisting him with a strong hand, in suppressing "Bacon's
Rebellion." Though his conduct pleased the governor, it did not meet
with the approval of the people, among whom his trooj's were quartered ;
they were very emphatic in their complainls agairl^t his conduct. Berkeley
issued a commission, on the 13th of Xovemljcr, 1676, to Beverley, in which
it was stated: "Whereas by many frequent and successful services to his
Sacred Majesty, this Countrey and me, his Majesties Governor of it, Major
Robert Beverley hath approved himself to be most loyall, circumspect and
curagious in his Majesties, service for the good of his countrey and the sup-
pressing this late horrid Rebellion, began by Bacon," etc. One of the
Engli>h commissioners, sent over to suppress the rebellion and to invesiigate
its causes, was Francis Morysoii, who seems to have been rancorous against
Philip Ludwell and Robert Beverley, whoni he declared were the chief
' '■■:>.'..} ;TC
: -j.dj
320 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
causes of the rebellion. Yet they had both supported Berkeley in su[)press-
ing it. Later, Moryson wrote to Wise.nan : "I send you Jeffrey's letter
wherein you will find that Beverley and Ludv.-ell still continue the same
mutineers, as wee left them, and will never be other, but will undoubtedly
cau?e new disturbances in the country as soon as tlie soldiers are cone."
Beside his lands in Middlesex, Robert Beverley owned •• Beverley
Park," in King and Queen county, and also lands in other counties,
amounting in all, it is said, to about 50,000 acres. He v/as twice married ;
his first wife's name was Mary, surname not known. His second, was
Catharine, 4aughter' of Major Theophilus Hone, of James City county.
After Beverley's death, she married Christopher Rol)inson, as shown by
documents recorded in Middlesex. He left issue : Robert, Peter, Henry,
John, and William ; also two daughters, Mary and Catharine. The latter
married John Robinson, once president of the Council, who died the 5th
of September, 1749, and was succeeded in that position by Thomas Lee.
Robert, hi- son, the well knovv-n historian of Virginia, lived and died
on his estate in King and Q'leen county ; he married Ursula, da'ightcr of
the first William B'.rd. of '•' "Westover ;" their son, '^.\'illiam, married Eliza-
beth, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Randolph) Bland, of '•' Jordans"
(her elder sister married Henry I,ee, of "Lee Hall," Westmoreland), and
had a son, Robert, who married Maria, daughter ot Col. Landon and ^L^ria
(Byrd) Carter, of -'.Sabine Hal!;" they lived at •'•Wakefield" in Culpeper
county. Robert died in 1800, leaving thirteen children; his tenth child,
Evelyn Byrd, married George Lee, as stated ; after his death, she married,
secondly, Dr. Patrick Hume Douglas.
' Thomas Lee.
32. Thomas^, the eldest son of Richard Henry Lee*, (Thomas',
Ric;nn-d -, Richard^ ). and Anne Ayletr, his first wife, was born at '•' Chan-
tilly," on "Friday the 20th day of October, 175S, at 11 o'clock at night,
and was christened by the P.ev. Mr. Charles Ross on the 26th day of No-
vember, 175S. ILs sponsors were the Honourable Ph.ilip Ludv.ell Lee,
Gawen Corbin, Esq.. Capt. VViiliam Allerton, Miss Alice Lee, Mr. .-VUer-
ton, and Miss Mary Aylett." (Family Bible of R. H. Lee.)
Thomas Lee was sent to England to school; as he was there in 1776,
he must have gone over when quite young. The biugrai^her of his father,
R. H. Lee S has stated that Ludwell Lee v.as at "'a school in St. Bees, in
England," at the time of the moving of tlie Declaration of Lideperidence.
"^Li/eof R. H.Let, 17S
r(| v'UloijIl.i i
ft.'. , KUTli'""'' *
'1 -o:.-.
■,: ,' .:■.!
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 32I
It is probable that his elder brother was there with him. Arthur Lee ^
wrote from France to R. H. I-ee, under date of 25th of December, 1776,
"... I have sent for your sons hither. I mean to keep Ludwell with
me, and if his genius suits to train him to arms, chiefly in the engineering
line. Tom I will send to you with our dispatches, when they are of im-
portance. He is now of an age to be useful to you in Virginia, from
whence your absence must greatly damage your affairs." It appears that
" Tom " did not go to Virginia soon, but entered the office of a merchant,
who had dealings for the commissioners of Congress. Under date of 15th
of February, 17 78, Arthur Lee wrote from Paris: " . . . Tom is still
with Mr. Schweighauser, and appears to be improving : Ludwell has left
his school, lives v/ith me, and I shall soon make him begin reading law."
Later still, .Arthur Lee wrote, from Virginia, to the ALarquis of Lansdown
(under date of the 3d of March, 1786) '' . . . My nephew, Thomas Lee,
will have the honour of presenting this letter to your lordship. He comes
to finish his law studies at the Temple. Your lordship's patronage of him
will be a singular happiness to him and a favour to me. I hope you will
find him intelligent and cajiable of giving your lordship a satisfactory ac-
count of this country." Thomas Lee lived at •' Park Gate," near Dum-
fries, in Prince "William county, where he farmed and practiced law. He
died between the last of July and the first of October, 1S05. Was twice
married; first, about the 15th of October, 17SS, to Mildred, daughter of
John Augustine and Hannah (Bushrod) Washington ; after her death, he
married, secondly, Eliza Ashton Brent. His will mentions two children, a
son and a daughter ; both were probably the issue of his second marriage.
General V/ashington, in v;riting to Sir Isaac Heard, of the Herald's Office,
London, of his family, said : " John Augustine Washington, son of Au-
gustine and ^Liry (Bail) ^\'ashington, married Hannah Bushrod, arid had,
Bushrod, Corbin, and Mildred ; Corbin married a daughter of the Honour-
alile Richard IIciiryLce; Mildred married Thomas T>ee, son of the said
R. H. Lee " (Sparks, 508.) A marriage bond was filed on the 13th of
October, 17S8, at \\'estmoreland, between Thomas Lee and [Mildred Wash-
ington, spinster; it was signed by Thomas Lee, Sr., and AVilliam Aliett
Lee.
Note. This connection of Thomas Lee with a mercantile house that
h.id dealings with the American commissioners, was used as an evidence of
some intrigue on the part of the two Lees, Arthur and William, by their
enemies. Deanc wrote to the President of Congress, under date of 12th
' /.i/i.- 0/ Arthsf Ltc-, II, pji. no, 135. 1C9.
21
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i.'UiiH ^7 ;:.!., , ■<r: /V.'.)
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f ' 1 ? 1. ; , : '
•'Mi,. ;i , ■(•')'
322 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
October, 177S, tliot " Mr. Lee's Nephew, a son of the honourable Richard
Ilcury Lev, is in the house of Mons. Scliweighauser, at Nantes, as a clerk
or as a partner — I am infonaed the laLLer. Commercial affairs and the dis-
position of prizes are put into the care of this house, while a near con-
nection of Mr. Schwcighauser, at Guernsey or Jersey, is employing him-
self in sending out cruisers on our commerce." * John Adams said : '
"Mr. Schweighauser was a very solid merchant, highly esteemed by every-
body, and highly approved by the Court " (French).
Tliomas Lee's will was dated the 15th of January, and probated, in
Prince A^'illliam, the ytli of October, 1805. It reads:
In the nr.me of God, Aniea. I Thomas Lee, Sen., of Prince William county and Com-
monwealth of Virginia heinL,' ct present low in health hut of sound disposing mind, I return
humble thanks to the almighty ruler of human events und considering the uncertainty of life,
do constitute and make this ray last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all others which I
may have made and declaring this to be ray last, as follows Viz. In the first place I do de-
sire that my body may be decently and without parade interred and laid on the left side of
my late ever dear wife, between Iicr remains and those of ray dear little infant, so that his
grave may l^e between mine ruid that of his blessed dear mother when it may please our
good God to take her out of this World, should it be her pleasure to be buried there, and as
it is my present intention, if God spares my life long enough, to have the grave yard en-
closed with a good substantial brick or stone wall; should it not be done I do require ray
Executors and Executrix, hereafter to be named, to have it done at the expense of my estate.
Secondly, I desire tliat my just debts may be paid without any uimecessary delay by
my Executors, hereby authorising them to sell whatever part of my estate, real or personal,
they may think most to the advantage of my estate. Thirdly. (This section was torn out
during the late war.) Fourthly, I do give and liequeath to my only child and affectionate
daughter Eliinor Lee all the residue of my estate real and personal in possession, reversion
or remainder to her and her heirs forever.
Fifthly, If my dear wife should choose it I desire the dwelling house should be allotted
on her half of the Land. Sixthly, I do constitute and appoint my ever dear Brothers and
sinccie fri'-nui Ludwell Loe and Francis L. Lee Executors and my beloved wife and de.ar
daughter Eliza Ashton Lee and Eliinor Lee Executrixes to this my last Will and Testa-
ment, hereby declaring that these my Executors sh.all not be subject to any suit or suits for
the maiui.^ement of my said estate by my heiis under a forfeiture of the whole estate to my
said Fxecutors, convinced of their friendship and integrity. The whole of this Will I have
written with my own hand without any interlineation or erasure and pray that full faith may
be given to it as such by all courts and signed this 15th day of January, one thousand eight
hundred and five.
Codicil. As I know it v,-as the earnest wish of my dear and beloved sister, Hannah
Washington, that her two Daughters Jane and Molly Washington should be brought up
under the care of my ever dear wife, it is my desire that they continue to live with her until
they are of a^je and that she expend such part of their fortunes as she finds necessary in pro-
1 I^ittrs r/ li'uiiam Lee, 358.
• Lift an/i M'crks 0/ Jckri Adams, HI, izg,
..<> ■' ■ ('
M •,
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 323
vidinf^ tliem with a governess and such other instruction as she may judge proper for them.
23d July, 1S05. ■ , ' . . ■ '.,■■■• ,, 1
Thomas Lee had only one surviving child : '^ '
i, Eleanor ^ born the i3ta of August, 1783 ; entered the Moravian Sem-
inary, at Bethlehem, Pa., in 1796, ''recommended by George Wash-
ington." (Seminary Catalogue.) Died Nov., 1807; married,
Girard Alexander, son of Col. William Alexander, of " Effing-
ham," Prince William county; he was born the 25th of June, 17S4,
and died the 2d of July, 1S34; they had one son, Thomas Ludwell
Alexander, colonel U. S. A., born the 26th of October, 1807; died
the nth of March, iSSi, and left issue.
Ludwell Lee.
33. Ludwell ^ the second son of Richard Henry Lee* (Thomas ^
Richard ^ Richard '), and of Anne Aylett, his first wife, was born at " Chan-
tiily" on " Monday the 13th of October, 1760, at 12 o'clock in the night,
and was christened by the pN.ev. Mr. Ross on Sunda}-, the 26th of October,
1760. His proxies were Richard Lee, Esq., Doctor Arthur Lee, and Miss
Elizabeth Steploe." (Family Bible of R. H. Lee.) He died at his home,
"Belmont," in Loudoun, on the 23d of March, 1S36.
Ludwell Lee was educated in England and France, as shown by tlie ex-
tracts from the letters of his uncle, Dr. Arthur Lee, given in connection
with Ludwell's older brother, Thomas Lee. His son, R. H. Lee (the
biographer of his grandfather, Richard Henry Lee), has given this anecdote
of Ludwell, from v/hom he had heard it: '
"A son of Mr. Lee was, at the time of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, at school in St. Bees, in England. . . . One day, as this youth was
standing near one of the professors of the academy, who was conversing
with a gentleman of the ncigiiboring county, he licard the question asked,
' ^Vhat boy is this?' to which the professor answered, ' He is a son of Rich-
ard Henry Lee, of America.' The gentleman, upon hearing this, put his
liand ufion his head and said, ' We shall yet see your father's head ufion
Tower Hill,' to which the boy answered, ' Vou may have it when you can
get it.'"
Under date of the 30th of June, 1777, R. H. Lee wrote to his brother
Arthur :"...! have written by this opportunity to our Brother Wil-
liam, supposing him to be in France. I told him that the times prevent
UJ/e c/K. [I. Lit, T7S.
,■, .VtUf'
^ ^
l»; '( J'ya . : ' r, \ ,■>
..: ■' 1 ' '. ■. *
^.. d
■;.:i
324
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
me from making remittance, and therefore that my sons must be sent to me
by the first good opportunity if he cannot continue to advance for their
frugal maintenance in France a small time longer. I wish Ludwell to go
deep into the study of Natural and Civil Law and Eloquence, as well as to
obtain the military improvement you put him on, my desire being that he
may be able to turn either to the Law or the sword here, as his genius or his
interest and service of his country might point out. I want Tom to pos-
sess himself of the knowledge of business either in Mr. Schweighauser's
counting house or under his uncle, if he should go into business that may
be entrusted to his care. But all or any part of this plan depends, I ap-
prehend, entirely on their uncle "William. Should any unhappy accident
have befallen him and thereby prevented him from coming to France, I
must rely on you to direct them to be sent over to me by the first oppor-
tunity." {Souihcrn Literary Messenger, Yo\. 28, No. 6, p. 429.)
After his death this sketch was published in the Leesburg paper by Mr.
R. H. Henderson, of that place:
"Departed this life, on the night of Wednesday the 23d ult., at his
residence in tin's County, Ludwell Lee, Esq., in the 76th year of his age.
Mr. Lee, the oldest son of the illustrious orator, statesman, and patriot,
Richard Kenry Lee, rose into manhood during the memorable struggle in
which his Father v\-on an undying fame. True to the principles and spirit
of that Father, the subject of this passing notice flew from the shades of the
Academy to the standard of his country ; and, as one of the military family
of the heroic and generous Lafayette, followed it until it was crowned with
glorious peace. Mr. Lee engaged in the profession of the law, but, blessed
with an ample fortune, he withdrew from it at an early period, yet not until
he had exhibited to his friends and his country those pov.-ers and attainments
which would, under different circumstances, have rendered him one of its
brightest ornaments.
*' He was a distinguished member of the Virginia Legislature, and pre-
sided over the deliberations of the Senate with approved ability, dignity, and
courtesy in the palmiest days of this once renowned commonwealth. But
tlie strife and tumult of the political arena vs-ere as distasteful to him as
were those of the bar. His character was essentially gentle, tranquil, and
benevolent ; and although he died, as he had lived, an unwavering disciple
of our own Washington, the suavity of his manners always kept pace with
the rectitude and fiimness of his purpose. In the walks of private life, amid
the social circle, at the -sacred family hearth, Ludwell Lee shone with a
mild and constant lustre : — here he displayed learning without ostentation ;
>;1 . 0.,.'^:
:;;?c>i! *;v;-.^
,.-i:-.-.;t:U "
-I'.M L>-;;.i!'>'>I
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 325
wit without one solitary tincture of unkindness ; affection which soothed
and gladdened all around him. Not unscathed by sorrow in the evening of
his life, he sought solace and support from llini who never forsakes those who
cleave to Him in sincerity and humility. In a word, to the good man and
the gentleman he added that better character which makes worldly nierit
less than dust in the balance. He breathed out his spirit, at last, without a
groan ; and has gone to rejoin in the realms of ceaseless peace and bliss that
Lafa}'ette under whose chivalrous eye he drew his youthful sword, and who
came, after so many chances and changes, to embrace him again in the
classic retirement of Belmont. His life happily illustrates the sublime truth,
'The Christian is the higliest type of man.' He was a Cliristian in all the
truth, in all the purity, in all the meekness, in all the Catholic love and
charity of that endearing name. The places that knew him shall know him
no more ; he has gone where the approving smiles of his Heavenly Father shall
succeed to the tears and sighs of his beloved children."
An old colored man, probably once a servant of Ludwell Lee's, re-
cently told, in the graphic language of his race, of the visit of Lafayette to
Loudoun ; of how the niansions of Belmont and Coton were decorated, of
the dor;b]e line of lanterns v.hich connected the two houses, that guests
might readily pass from one to the other, either one of the mansions being
too suiall to contain '' all the country " that were bidden to meet the gal-
lant Frenchman.
This letter to his uncle William Lee is interesting.
"Shooter's hill, 15th of Dec'r 1793. My Dear Uncle. I believe it
to be a very just observation that the more we progress in error, the more
difficult it is to get into the right v.-a}- again. I feel and have fell this
strongly in the business of writing to those who have more claims than one
upon my epistolary attentions. Shame for the long dela}^, and an utter im-
possibility of framing an excuse keeps me from essa\ing a fulfilment of m.y
duty. I must attenipt none now, but only assure you that the vis ircrti'ic
and not want of true affection has been the cause of my failures hitherto.
" I inclose you an accepted draft of Col. Lee which will be due by the
time you can send it to Richmond. He assures me that the money shall
be ready for you as soon as it is presented. This is the most convenient
plan I could fall upon to transmit your money to you. It would give me
sincere pleasure had I it in my power to discharge the principal of my bond
to you, as the business of being in debt is one very disagreeable to me.
But my crops have this year fallen very short of what they were last ; only
2000 bushels of wheat for sale, which is ap[)ropriated to the payment of my
■ ^ i' I O,
•'iZ.!O.J ':;'
■>:'.i .
: :':> .' 'to
[■•.i.'-'j.i]
326 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
debt to Mr. P'endall. I have a large crop in the ground, having sowed 630
busliels which with the benign assistance of heaven may enable next year to
go a great way into the discharge of it.
"The truce which Portugal and Holland have made with the Algerines
has let these robbers loose upon the trade of America. This will defeat in
a great measure the benefits we derive from our Neutrality and I can see no
way of getting out of the mischief but by purchasing their friendship as
others have done. Indians and Algerines will give us our hands full with-
out meddling with the hot headed Frenchmen's affairs.
"You have seen I suppose b;' the papers that Dallas, the first propa-
' gator of the story about Genet's appeal, has denied the whole business.
Jay and King are in a pretty hole. However the President has given Mr.
Genet a pretty decent dressing in his Letter to Congress upon the views of
foreign Powers towards us. Political storms seem forming around us. The
death of George Washington would let loose the Dogs of War; upon what
a slender tie does the Peace of the New World depend ; perhaps its hard
earned Independence and the fairest prospect of human liberty and happi-
ness. I am lost in conjecture and in apprehension. However I wish you
a merry Christmas, and am ever most aff 'ly yours, etc.
Ludwell Lee was twice married ; first, about the 23d of January, 17SS,
to his first cousin, Flora, daugh.ter of Philip Ludwell, and Elizabeth (Step-
toe) Lee, of Stratford, by whom he had three children. He was married,
secondly, in 1797, to Elizabeth, daughter of Bowles, and Mary (Fontaine)
Armistead, by whoui he had six children. He resided first at " Shooter's
Hill," near Alexandria, and later at " Belmont," near Leesburg. His
first wife died and v/as buried at "Shooter's Hill ;" her "tomb was to be
seen there prior to the late civil war " (Rev. Joseph Packard, D. D.). He
was buried at Belmont.
Ludwell Lee made a nuncupative v/ill, on the iSth of March, 1S36,
leaving some silver and a few slaves to his daughters, Ellen and Emily ;
some silver to his "son Dr. Lee." This will was attested by James L.
McKenna and Edmund I. Lee.
By his first wife Mr. Lee had three children :
i, RicH.\KD Henrv®. See 4.1 . •
ii, Cecilia^, born in 1790; died ; married James L. McKenna; no
issue,
iii, Eliza Matilda^, born the 13th of September, 1791 ; died the 22d of
January, 1S75; ^"""^ niarried, in i8ii, to Richard H. Love, of Fairfax
county, and had six children : of these, Ludwell and Thomas died
Uo'l f!
.•,7; .
■{1
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1;; .'■! , /.»
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 527
young. 3, Richard Lee, born in 1815, died in 1855 ; entered the
U. S. N. ; married Martha Ann Pearson. 4, Cecilia Matilda, mar-
ried, in 1844, Major Lewis Addison Armistead, V. S. A. She was
born in 1823 and died in 1S50. 5, The last son was General John
Love, U. S. A., of Indiana, a graduate of West Point, who was born
in 1S20 and died in iSSi ; he married Mary F. Smith, and died with-
out issue. 6, Their last child, Flora Lee Love, married the Rev.
William Johnson, of the Episcopal church, at v,-hose home Mrs. Love
died.
By his marriage with Elizabeth Armistead, Ludwell Lee had six chil-
dren :
iv, Mary AnnS born 8th of April, 179S; married General Robert B.
Campbell, of South Carolina.
V, Ellen McIVLvcKEN^, born 5th of April, 1802; married twice; first,
Thomas Bedford, of Kentucky, and had one child ; secondly, in 1S44,
the Rev. Nathaniel Phippen Xnc.pp, of Mobile, Alabama, and had :
1, Ludwell Lee, born in 1S45, died in 18S3. 2, Caroline Frances,
born ist of July, 1S47 > married, 9th of January, 1S73, the Rev. John
Richard Joyner.
vi, Elizabeth Armlsfead*, born 23d of March, 1S04; "entered into
rest at the residence of Rev. J. R. Joyner, Berlin, Worcester county,
Md., 23d of May, 18S7, Mrs. Elizabeth A. Selden, in the 84th year
of her age ; daughter of the Flon. Ludwell Lee, of 'Belmont,' Lou-
doun county, Va., and widow of the late Wilson Gary Selden, of
'Exeter,' near Leesburg, Va." {SGuthcrn Churchman.^
vii, Emily^ born ; died in 1875, unmarried.
viii, Francis Lightfoot ^ born ; died ; married a Miss Rogers,
of South Carolina, but had no issue.
ix, Bowles Armistead', born ; died , unmarried. A cadet
from Virginia of his name entered West Point in 1S2S.
" • Francis Lightfoot Lee.
34. Francis LiG:rrrOOT^ the fourth son and youngest child of Rich-
ard Menry Lee* (Thomas ^ Richard ^ Richard^), by .\nne (Gaskins) Pinck-
ard, his second v/ife, %\as born "at 2 o'clock on the morning of the iSth
of June, 1782 ; was christened by the Rev. Mr. Wilson ; his sponsors were
Thomas and Ludwell Lee, Mr. Aylett Lee, Miss ^Nlary Lee, Miss Hannah
Lee, Miss Flora Lee, and Miss Lucinda Lee." (Family Bible of R. H. Lee.)
(-•r ., r
1 . ■ . ) ■ ' ' 1 1 .
v'T
'/ : U
'.:.V ■}
j'n::-. . i! lo A;;ii::'t)
•ro •.''■; : i: 'I i
328 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Mr. Lee's early education was probably under a private tutor. In
179S he entered f-arvard College, was graduated an A. B. in 1802, and in
1806 received Iiis A. M. (College records.) He was a lawyer by j)iofes-
sion, and resided at "Sully," in Fairfax county, not far distant from Alex-
andria and Wash.ington. He died on the 13th of April, 1850. He was
twice married,' his two wives having been sisters, and daughters of Col. John,
and Jane (Digges) Fitzgerald, of Alexandria. By his first wife, Elizabeth,
he had no surviving children ; by his second, Jane, whom he married on the
9th of February, iSio, he had five children.
Colonel John Fitzgerald, the father of Elizabetli, and Jane Fitzgerald,
was a native of Ireland, who had settled at Alexandria some time before
the Rev^olution, ?nd had become a prosperous merchant of that tov/n. Dur-
ing tlie war he served for some time upon General Vs'ashington's staff, and
the friendship begun at that time aj>pears to have continued throughoui:
their lives. Very frequent mention is made in Washington's diary of visits
paid to Col. I'ltzgerald at Alexandria. He was at one time Mayor of that
tov, n. Francis Liglitfoot Lee had by his second wife these five children :
i, J.AKE Eliz\i;eth'', born in iSii and died in 1S37; married in 1S32
Henry T. Harrison, of Loudoun county, and left a daughter, who died
in 1870, unmarried. Henry T. Harrison married, secondly, in iS-;i.
Elizabeth Mary Jones, daughter of Walter and Anne Lucinda (Lee)
Jones (see 36, i).
ii, Samuel Phillips^'. See 45.
iii, John Fitzgerald'^'. See 46.
iv, Artiiuk®, born ; died unmarried at Louisville, Ky., on the 7th
of August, I S4 I. In an obituary notice of him the writer says : ". . .
Possessed of a high order of intelligence, deeply imbued with a love
of letters, and rich in actjuisitions of knowledge, he might have shone
in the walks of literature and won reputation among men ; but, with
instinctive difiidence, he shrank from the public gaze, and deaf to
the loud calls of ambition and attentive only to the 'still small voice'
of conscience, he chose ratlier to employ his talents and acquire-
ments in the humble but holy office of a Sunday-school teacher."
V, Frances Anne ^, born at Bladensburg, Prince George's county, Md.,
on the 30th of June, 1816; died on the 5th of December, 18S9 ; was
tv.ice married: first, on the 6th of September, 1S43, to Goldsborough
Robinson, who died on the 5th of August, 1S44, leaving two sons :
I, Arthur Lee Robinson, born the 27th of December, 1843; was mar-
ried on the 1 6th of January, 1868, to Norborne Alexina, daughter of
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Norborne Alexaiider Gait and Elizabeth Mildred Thompson Gray, his
\vife; Mrs. Robinson died the 4th o( December, 186S, leaving a son,
Alexander Gait, born the 26ih of November, 186S. 2, Goldsborough
Robinson, born the 25th of March, 1845; died the 29th of March,
1SS7; was marriedon the 8th of Januar}', 1S67, to Matilda Nicholas,
daughter of William, and Penelope (Pope) Prather, and had tliese
eight children: Frances Lee, Alexander Humyihrcy, Julia Prather,
Arthur Lee, Phillips Lee, Martha Pope, ISLatilda Goldsborough, and
Penelope Prather Robinson. Of these Frances Lee was married on the
■ 6th of February, 1S90, to Frederick Daniel Hnsscy ; Alexander Hr.m-
phrey was married on the 9th of June, 1S91, to Catharine Nelson Fick-
len ; Julia Prather vras married on the 6th of November, 1893, to Wil-
liam Beynroth Hardy.
Mrs. Anne Frances (Lee) Robinson was married, secondly, on the
6th of November, 1S46, to William Frederick Pettit, and had one son,
William Frederick, born the 5th and died the 23d of December, 1S4S.
!Major-General FIenry Lke.
35. FIenrv^, the second child and eldest son of Henry Lee * (Ileiity *,
Richard % Richard '; and Lucy Grymes, his v/ife, was born at " Lees)'l-
vania," his father's home, near Dumfries, in Prince ^^'illiam county, on the
29th of January, 1756; he died at Cumberland Island, Georgia, the home
of his old commander, General Greene, on the 25th of March, 181S.
After receiving the usual rudimentary education at home, Henry was
sent to Princeton College, where he graduated in 1773. Dr. William
Shippen wrote to R. H. Lee, in 1770 : " Your cousin, Henry Lee, is in col-
lege and will be one of the first fellows in this country. He is more than
strict in his morality, has fine genius aiid is diligent. Charles is in the
grammar school, but Dr. Witherspoon expects much from his genius an.d
apjilication." (Dr. Witherspoon was then the president of I'rinceton
Coiiege.) On LM\i;:g co1I^..,l-, Henry ^s 1.? for some lime c;m])loyed in look-
ing afier the private affair^ of his father, who was absent from home en-
gaged in negotiating a treaty with some Indian tribes on behalf of the
colony of Virginia. The next year he was intending to embark for Eng-
land to pursue the study of the law ; but the dark shadows of war were al-
ready threatening, and changed the prosijective lav.yer into an actual
soldier. His later career seems to have proven him well qualified for t'le
profession of the kvv, and it is [probable that, had he entered the ijolitical
arena, he would have made for himself a reputation of no mean proportion
as an orator and legislator.
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33© LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Henry Lee was foremost among those who took an active part in organ-
izing and drilling the militia of Virginia; in consequence, he was ap-
pointed, in 1776, by Patrick Henry, then governor of the State, a captain
of one of the companies of cavalry in the Virginia regiment commanded by
Colonel Theodorick Bland. Lee soon distinguished himself by his thorough
discipline of his troopers, as well as by the care and attention given to their
horses and equipment. He wrote his colonel, under date of 13th of April,
i777> " • • • How happy would I be, if it was possible for my men to be
furnished with caps and boots, prior to my api)earance at head-quarters !
You know, my dear Colonel, that, justly, an officer's reputation depends
not only on the discipline, but appearance of his men. Could the articles
mentioned be allowed my troop, their ajjpearance into Morris [Morristo\sn]
would secure rne from the imputation of carelessness as their captain, and 1
have vanity enough to hoj^e would assist in procuring some little credit to
the colonel and regiment. Pardon my solicitations on any head respecting
the condition of my troop; my sole object is the credit of the regiment."
At the time this letter was written, Colonel Bland's regiment liad
joined the Army under Washington, and Lee was about to make his first ap-
pearance " at head-quarters." His appearance must have been such as he de-
sired, or his subsequent behaviour in active service must have been success-
ful, for he appears to have won the esteem and affection of Washington very
early in the war. It is certain that he was frequently employed by his
commander on confidential missions and in hazaVdous expeditions. '• He
was fa.vorably noticed by Washington throughout the war," wrote Irving.
At one tin\e the General wrote to Lee, "... You may in future or while
on your present command, mark your letters private ;'' this to an ofllcer
only twenty-three years old surely indicated confidence and esteem. In
fact, his extrenie youth seems to have been the sole reason why due rank
was not a'.varded his military merit. He was too youthful to be elevated
over the heads of men mucli his senior in years, though probably inferior
in military talent.
This letter attests the kind feeling of appreciation in which Lee was
held by hib great chief :
" My dear Lee, — Although I have given you my thanks in the general
orders of this day, for the late instance of your gallant behaviour, I cannot
resist the inclination I feel to repeat them again in this manner. I needed
no fresh i)roofs of your merit, to bear you in remembrance. I waited only
for the proper time and season to show it ; those, I hojie, are not far off.
I shall also think of and will reward the merit of Lindsay, when an open-
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. '33I
ing juesents, as far as I can consistently ; and I shall not forget the cor-
poral, whom yoM h: vc recommended to my notice. Offer my sincere thanks
to the whole of your gallant party, and assure them that no one felt pleasure
more sensibly, or rejoiced m.ore sincerely for your and their esca.pe, than
your affectionate," etc. ^ ' .
The skirmish referred to by Washington was an attempt on the part of
the British to caj ture Lee. They attached sufficient importance to making
him their prisoner to send a troop of 200 horse to secretly surround his
headquarters, wlien they had ascertained he was near their lines and accom-
panied by only ten men. The Americans manned the windows of the house
and succeeded in beating off their assailants. Lee reported, " The contest
was very warm ; the l-5ritish dragoons trusting to their vast superiority in
number, attemjAed to force their way into the house. In this they were
bafRed by the bravery of my men. After having left two killed and four
wounded, they desi.-^tcd and sheered off."
The skill and daring of Lee soon v\-on such favor in the eyes of his
chief that Washington urged Congress to give him the command of an in-
dependent corps, for scouting and foraging. In a letter to the President of
Congress, he wrote :
" Ca|)tain Lee of the light dragoons, and the officers under his com-
mand, having uniformly distinguished themselves by a conduct of exem-
plary zeal, prudence, and bravery, I took occasion, on a late signal instance
of it, to express the high sense I entertained of their merit, and to assure
him, that it should not fail of being properly noticed. I was: induced to
give this assurance from a conviction, that it is the wish of Congress to give
every encouragement to n^ierit, and that they would cheerfully embrace so
favorable an cp|)ortunity of manifesting this disposition. I had it in con-
templation at the time, in case no other method more eligible could be
ad(>]'ted, to m.ake an offer of a j^lace in my family. I have consulted the
conimittee of Congress upon the subject, and we are mutually of the opinion,
that giving Captain Lee the conmiand of two troops of horse on the pro-
posed establishment, with the rank of major, to act as an independent
corps, would be a mode of rewarding him very advantageous to the service.
Captain Lee's genius particularly adapts him to command of this nature;
and it will be tlie most agreeable to him of any station in which he could
be placed."
.Shortly after this, Lee was given the command of three companies each
of cavalry and of infantry, to o[)crate as an independent corps. By the at-
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332
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
tenliou he gave to the discii^line of his men, and the care of their horses, he
kept his troopers so well mounted and so effective that they were able to
niMvc with great rapidity and daring. In consequence of their dash and
bravery in scouting and foragii^g they acquired quite a reputation, and he,
the soubriquet of " Light- Jiorse Harry," a name which has ever clung to
him. On the 19th of Jul}-, 1779, at the head of 300 men, Lee surprised
and captured Paulus Hook, New Jersey, securing some 160 prisoners, and
retreated v/ith the loss of only two killed and three wounded. For "his
prudence, address, and bravery," on this and other occasions. Congress
voted tiK- following resolutions. By the act of 7th of April, 1778, it was
«' Re^,nlved, whereas Captain Henry Lee, of the Licrht Dragoons, by the whole tenor
of his conduct during the last campaign, has proved him^iclf a brave and prudent ofticer, ren-
dered t sicntial service to his country, and acquired to himself and the corps he commanded,
distinguished honor, and it being the deterrnination of Congress to reward merit, Resolved,
that Captain Henry Lee be promoted to the rank of Major- Commandant ; that he be era-
powered to augment his present corps by eiilLstment of tv.-o corps of horse, to act as a sepa-
rate corps."
By the act of 24th September, 1779, it was
" Resolved, that the thanks of Congress be given to Major Lee for the remarkable pru-
dence, address and bravery disphiyed in the attack on the enemy's fort and works at Paulus
Hook, and tliat they approve the l:umanity shown in circumstances prompting to severity, as
honorable to the aims of ihi United States, and correspondent to the noble principles on
which they were assumed, and that a gold medal, emblematic of this affair, be struck under
the direction of the Board of Treasury, and presented to Major Lee."
After serving for three years in the campaigns of the northern army,
Lee was ordered south to \o\i\ General Greene, with whom he served until
his final retirement from the army after the surrender of Cornwallis at
Yorktown. Greene commended him by declaring that " no man in the
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 333
progress of the campaign had equal merit." When it is remcmhered that
Leo served there with such soldiers as Morgan, Marion, Pickens, Sumter,
and other gallant officers, the full extent of this praise will be appreciated.
About October, 1780, Congress proposed to reorganize the army somewhat,
and among tlie changes considered was the ];lacing of Lee's corps in one of
the regular regiments. Washington opposed this change, and wrote (nth
of October, 17 So) to the President of Congress: "... Major Lee has
rendered such distinguished services, possesses so many talents for com-
manding a corps of this nature, and deserves so much credit for the j^erfec-
tion in which he has i<ept his corps, as well as for the handsome exploits he
has performed, that it would be a loss to the service, and a discouragement
to merit, to reduce him, and I do not see how he can be introduced into
. one of the regiments in a manner satisfactory to himself, and which will en-
able him to be equally useful, without giving too much disgust to the whole
line of cawilry." This protest had due effect, and Lee retained the com-
mand of his partisan corps, being also advanced to the rank of lieutenant-
colonel. In vrriting to John Matthews, a member of Congress from South
Carolina, ^Va3hington was even more complimentary to Lee. Lender date
of 23d of October, he wrote : " . . . Lee's corps will go to the south-
ward. I believe it will be found very useful. The corps itself is an excel-
lent one, and the ofiicer at the head of it /las gn\if resources cf genius.''''
Colonel Charles Cornwallis Chesney, of the English army, in an article
on General Robert E. Lee, speaks thus of his father: "From the very first
he displayed military talent of a high order, and became before long the
most noted leader of his army for dashing enterprise in separate command.
A special gold medal was awarded him by Congress for his capture of the fort
at Paulus Hook, and in 17S1 he was sent to join the forces under General
Greene, in the South, there nntched against Cornwallis. That Greene failed,
on the whole, in his encounter is well knov.n. He was in fact in a posi-
tion of inferiority, until Cornv.-allis left the South for Petersburg and the
Richmond jieninsula. . . . Greene, however, though defeated, never ceased
to hold his own stoutly against Cornwallis for the time, and afterwards
recovered the Carolinas fully for Congress. His successes were due in great
part to the talents and energy of his young cavalry commander. General
Henry Lee had a worthy oiijionent in Colonel Tarleton, a cavalry officer of
no mean merit in light warfare. But the republican cavalier established his
superiority very fully in the series of skirmishes that ensued. And although,
in his own Memoir of the War, he had the modesty to attribute his suc-
cesses over Tarleton to his superiority in horse flesh, readers of his interest-
ing work may discern for themselves that his own skill and judgment were
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334 LEE OF VIRGINIA. '
the prime causes of the advantage, and will be disposed to agree to the full
with General Greene, who wrote in his personal thanks, ' No man in the
progress of the campaign had equal merit with yourself,' an expression of
strong meaning coming from a plain, blunt soldier of honest character.
And this praise v/as fully cijnfirmed by Washington's own words of love
and thanks, in a letter of later date, written long enough after to show how
strong in that great man's mind was the memory of the services of ' I^ight-
Horse Harry,' as his contemporaries familiarly called General Henry Lee."
Shortly afier the surrender of Cornwallis, I.ee resigned from the army,
upon which occasion General Greene wrote him this letter :
"Headquarters, 27th January, 1782. Dear Sir, — I have beheld with
extreme anxiety for some tim.e ]iast a growing discontent in your mind, and
have not been \\'iihout my apijrehensions that your complaints originated
more in distress than in ruin of your constitutiori. Whatever may be the
source of your vrounds, I vish it was in my pov.-er to heal them. . . .
From our earliest acquaintance 1 l;ad a partiality for you, which progres-
sively grew into frier.dship. 1 ^^as under no obligation to you until I came
into this country ; and yet I believe you will do me the justice to say I
never wanted inclination to ser\e )0u. Here I liaN'e been under the great-
est obligations, — obligations I can never cancel. ... I am far from
agreeing with you in the opinion lliat the public will never do you justice.
I believe few officers, either in Europe or America, are held in so high a
point of estimation as you are.' Substantial service is what constitutes last-
ing reputation ; and your reports this campaign are the best panegyric that
can be given of your action. ... It is true, there are a few of your coun-
tr)'men, who fnna ignorance and malice are disposed to do injustice to your
conduct, but it is out of their power to injure you. Indeed, you are
ignorant of yoiu own weight and influence, otherwise you would despise
their sjjleen a!id malice. . . . Everybody knows I lui.ve the highest o'pinion
of you as an officer, aud you kiiuv,- I love you as a friend; whatever may
be your determination, to retire or to continue in service, my affection will
accompany }ou." In a parti]:!g letter Greene adds (12th February, 17S2) :
" You are going home and you will get married, but you cannot cease to be
a soldier; should the war rage here I shall call for you in a few months,
unless I should find your inclination opjjosed to my wishes."
'" . . General Henry Lee, who, if not tiie foremost m.in of all the woild of his a^re and rank, was
Certainly the second of no man, if. during seven years of service, in numberless situations requiring tatcats,
br.^very and prompt exec 'itio;!, the coinmissicn of no fault or the neglect of no duty, entitled him to such
an appellation." — ( iV>; /;;(;//,■/: o/Jdin iMinks, cf i'a., 83.)
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 335
General Charles Lee once said of him, that " Major Lee seemed to
have come out of his mother's womb a soldier." Marshall, the early his-
torian of Washington,' has written : " The continued labors and exertions
of all were highly meritorious, but the successful activity of one corps will
attract particular attention. The legion, from its structure, was peculiarly
adapted to the partisan warfare of the Southern States, and, by being de-
tached against weaker posts of the eneni}-, had opportunities for displaying
with advantage all the energies it possessed. In that extensive sweep which
it made from the Santee to Augusta, which employed from the 15th of
April to the Sth of June, this corps, acting in conjunction first with Marion,
afterward with Pickens, and sometimes alone, had constituted the principal
force which carried five British posts and made upward of iioo prisoners."
Mr. Custis" has declared that, " No oiticer in the American army could
have been better fitted than Lee for the command of a partisan corps ; for
in tlie surprise of posts, in gaining intelligence, of distracting and discom-
forting your enemy, without bringing him to a general action, and all the
strategy v/hich belongs to the partisan warfare, few officers in any service
have been more distinguished than the subject of our memoir. The legion
of 1-ee, under the untiring labors of its active, talented commander, became
one of the most efficient corps in the American army. The horsemen were
principally recruited in the Southern and Middle States — countries pro-
verl)ial for furnishing skilful riders ; v/hile the horses, under the insi)ection
of the Virginian commander, were sujjerior in bone and figure, and could
many of them have boasted a lineal descent from the Godolphin Arabian.
" Among Lee's officers were the good and gallant names of Eggleston,
Rudolph, Ariustrong, O'Xeil, and the surviving honored veterans Allen
M'Lane of Delaware, and Harrison of \'irginia. The arrival of the legion
in the South was hailed as most auspicious to the success of our arms in that
quarter; indeed, so fine a corps of horse and foot, so well disciplined, and
in such gallant array, was rarely to be seen in those our days of desolation.
The partisan legion did good service in the campaigns of the Carolinab, and
the commander won his way to the esteem and confidence of Greene, the
7i' ell- be loved of Washington, as he had previously done to the esteem and
confidence of the great chief himself ; and, as a justice to the great military
sagacity of Lee, let it be remembered, that he was mainly instrumental in
advising Greene to that return to the Carolinas which eventuated in the de-
cisive and glorious combat of Eutaw, and the virtual liberation of the South.
With the close of the campaign of 17S1 ended the military services of
' Life cf Washirtgti'n, IV, p. 336.
* R(Cel!ectiont e/ Waskingion, by G. W. P. Custis, 1S60, pp. 357-g.
r.il
V. V.
33^ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lee. He retired on furlough to Virginia, and was hap-
pily present at the surrender of his old adversary, the formidable Corn-
wallis, i9tli October. Lee married shortly afterward, and settled in the
county of Westmoreland, but was permitted, by his grateful and admiring
countrymen, for a short time only to enjoy the otiinn cum di-^/u'Ai/e, being
successfully cliosen to the state legislature, the convention for ratifying the
constitution, the gubernatorial chair, and the Congress of the United
States."
During all his services in these legislative bodies, Henry Lee was
an ardent federalist, ably supijorting Madison and others in their efforts for
securing the i-atification of the Constitution by the Virginia Convention.
In taking thij position he was an antagonist of his cousin, Richard Henry
Lee, yet the latter considered his services so valuable to the State that he
was anxious for him to be in the Virginia Aspeml)ly. Under date of 14th
July, 17S7, R. H. Lee wrote his brother, Arthur : "1 do really consider it
a thing of consequence to the public interest that Col. H. Lee of Stratford
should be in our next Assembly, and therefore v.ish you would exert your-
self with tlie old Squire [Richard Lee] to get his resignation, or disqualifi-
cation rather, so that his nephew may get early irito the House of Delegates.
I know it is like persuading a man to sign his own death warrant, but upon
rny word the state of public affairs renders the sacrifice of place and vanity,
necessary."
Henry Lee was governor of Virginia for tli-'ee years ; wliile in this
office, Washington appointed him to command the troops ordered out to
suppress the "Whiskey Rebellion," which occiuTed in western Pennsylva-
nia, in 1794; he succeeded in quelling the rebellion without bloodshed.
On the 19th of Jul}', 1798, he was appointed a major-general in the army,
and was honor.abiy discharged on the 15th of June, tSoo. Being a member
of Congress in 1799, when the riews of the death of ^^'ashington was re-
ceived by Congre.-~s, he drew up a series of resolutions, formally announcing
tliat event, v,-hich were presented in his absence, by his colleague, John
Marshall; in the^e resolutions occur those ever memorable words : '■^ First
in ivar, first ill peace ^ and first in tJie hearts of his felicd'-cifizcnsy There-
upon, Congress resolved that " the President of the Senate and theS[»eaker
of the House of Representati\ es, be desired to request one of the members
of Congress to perform and deliver" an oration. Henry Lee was selected
to pay this tribute on behalf of Congress to the great Washington, and the
oration was delivered before Congress on the 26th of December, 1799, at
the "German Lutheran Church, in 4th street, above Arch, Philadelphia,
the largest ii^ the city."
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STRATFORD T,INE, FIFTH GENERATION. 337
Of this oration, Mr. Custis ^ has written, as one who had heard it:
" With the advantages of a classical education, General Lee possessed taste
and distinguished powers of eloquence ; and was selected, on the demise of
Wasliington, to deliver the oration in the funeral solemnities decreed by
Congress in honor of the Pater ratri;e. The oration having been but im-
perfectly committed to memory, from the very short time in which it was
composed, somewhat impaired its eftect upon the auditory; but, :is a com-
position, it has only to be read to be admired, for the puiity and elegance
of its language, and the powerful appeal it makes to the hearts of its readers ;
and we will venture to afnrm. that it will rank among the most celebrated
[jerformances of those highly distinguished men who mounted the rostrum
on that imposing occasion of n;itional mourning."
rvlr. Custis adds : ' •' In one particular Lee may be said to have ex-
celled his illustrious contemporaries, ISLarshall, }vLadison, Hamilton, Gouver-
neur Morris and Ames. It v.as in a surprising quickness of talent, a genius
sudden, dazzling, and always at comm.and, with an eloquence which seemed
to flow unbidden. Seated at a convivial board when the death of Patrick
Henry was announced, Lee called for a scrap of paper, and in a few mo-
ments produced a striking and beautiful eulogium upon the Demosthenes
of modern libert}-. His powers of conversation were also fascinating in
the extreme, possessing those rare and admiral.ile qualities which seize and
hold captive his hearers, del'ghting v.hile they instruct. That Lee was a
man of letters, a scholar v.ho had ripened under a truly classical sun. we
have only to turn to his work on the southern war, where he vras, indeed, the
.^fagfia pars fui oi all which he relates — a work which well deserves to be
ranked wiih the commentaries of the famed master of the Roman world,
who, like our Lee, was equall}- renowned with the pen as the sv/ord. r)Ut
there is a line, a single line, in the works of Lee which would hand him
over to immortality, though he had never written another. ' Y'u^i in v.ar,
first in peace, and first in the hearts of his fellow-countrymen ' ^ will last
while language lasts. What a sublime eulogium is pronounced in that noble
line ! So few words, and yet how illustrative are they of the vast and match-
less character of Washington ! Tliey are words which will descend with
the memory of the hero they are meant to honor, to the veneration of
remotest posterity, and be graven on colossal statues of the Pater Patriise in
some tuture age.
> RfCjUeclinr.s of Hasr.irghni, by G. W. P. Custis, 360-1, 47?, 615.
■-' //•/./., pp. J6 1-2-3.
^ In the rc.:,'i'uf!>ns pre^rnted to Congress, Lee used the phrase "fellow-citizens"; but in his pralian
he usc'i ■' fe!!o.v-coiiLitryaien."
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338 LEE OK VIRGINIA. " ly-,
" The attachment of Lee to Washington was like that of Hamilton,
pure and enthusiastic — like that of the chivalric Lanrens, devotional. It
was in the praise of his ' liero, liis friend, and his country's preserver ' that the
splendid talents of Lee were often elicited, with a force and grandeur of
eloquence wholly his own. The tame and memory of his chief was the
fondly-cherished passion to which he clung amid the wreck of his fortunes
— tlie hope v.hich gave warmth to his heart when all else around him seemed
cold and desolate. But shall the biograpl-tcr's task be complete, when the
faults of his subject are not to be taken into account? Of faults, perhaps
the subject of our memoir liad many ; yet how admirable is the maxim
handed down to us from the ancients, 'Dc uiortuis niL nisi bomon.' Let the
faults of Lee be buried in his distant grave — let the turf of oblivion close
over the failings of him whose early devotion to liberty, in liberty's bat-
tles— wliose eloquence in her senates and historical memoirs of her times
of trial, shed a lustre on his country in the young days of the Republic ; and
when Americans of some future date shall search amid the records of their
early history for the lives of illustrious men who flourished in the age of
Washington, high on a brilliant scroll will they find inscribed Henry Lee,
a son of Virginia — patriot, soldier, and historian of the Revolution, and
orator and statesman of the Republic."
In I So I Henry Lee retired permanently from public life, hoping to
spend the remainder of his days in the peaceful quiet of a Virginia farm
life. "' Witli his congressional career, ended the better days of this highly
gifted man. An unhappy rage for speculation caused him to embark upon
that treacherous stream, which gently, and almost imperceptibly at first,
but with sure and fearful rapidit\' at last, hurries its victims to the vortex of
destruction. It was, indeed, lamentable to behold the venerable Morris and
Lee, patriots, who, in the senates of liberty and on her battle fields, had
done the 'state such service,' instead of cnjo} ir.g a calm and happy evening
of life, to be languishing in prison and in exile. Lee, after long struggling
with adversity, sought in a foreign land a reU;.:e from his nnny ills, where,
becoming broken in health, he returned home to die. He reached the
mansion of Greene, and fortune, relenting her frowns, lit up his few re-
maining days with a smile. There, amid attentions the most consoling and
kindly, surrounded by recollections of his old and loved commander, the
most fond and endearing, the worn and wearied spirit of the patriot, states-
man, and soldier of liberty found rest in the grave."
In 1S09 Henry Lee wrote his interesting Memoirs of (he IVar in the
Soafhi-rn Department of ike Unite J States. Shortly afterward (June, 1S12)
he was very seriously injured by a mob at Baltimore while attempting to
cv".id'' Mifri 1'
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STRATtORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 3^
defend the house of a friend. Later he made a voyage to the West Indies,
seekiii::^ rcstnration for his shattered health. On liis way home he
landed at Cumberland Island, on the coast of Georgia, the home of his
old commander and friend. General Greene, where he died on the 25th of
Marc!), iSiS, and was buried. A war vessel, happening to be anchored
near by, her captain and crew assisted at his funeral, and paid the last
military honors to the dead soldier. As has been said: -'Fortune seems
to have conducted him at the close of his life almost to the tomb of Greene ;
and his bones may now repose by the side of those of his beloved chief;
friends in war, united in death, and partners in a never-dying fame."
As stated by Mr. Custis, Henry Lee was always an ardent admirer
of Wasiiington, and never lost an opportunity of expressing his venera-
tion for that great man. In his last illness "a surgical operation was
proposed, as offering some hope of prolonging his life ; but he replied that
the eminent surgeon to whose skill and care, during his sojourn in the West
Indies, he was so much indebted, had disapiiroved a resort to the proposed
operation. The surgeon in attendance still urging it, the patient put an
e'.id to the discussion by saying: ' My dear sir, were the great Washington
alive and here, and joining you in advocating it, I would still resist.' "
Mr. Irving has said that Henry Lee was always a favorite with Wash-
ington, and was very often favorably noticed by him. And Lee, on his part,
seems to have looked up to Washington rather as a friend or older brother,
than as iu's military chief. In his letters he appears to have asked for
advice upon any private business or public topic that interested him, and to
have exjuessed his feelings and opinions upon current affairs with much
freedom. Mr. Irving says further.^ '' Colonel Henry Lee, who used to be
a favored guest at Mount Vcnion, does not seem to have been much under
the infiuence of that ' reverential awe ' which Washington is said to have
inspired; it we may judge from the following anecdote. Washington one
day at table mentioned his being in want of carriage horses, and asked Lee
if he kr.cv.- where he could get a pair.
•''I have a fine pair, general,' replied Lee, 'but you cannot get
them.'
" 'Why not?'
** ' Because you will never pay more than half price for anything ; and
I must have full price for mv horses.'
"The bantering repl}- set Mrs. Washington laughing, and her parrot,
perclied beside her, joined in the laugh. The general took this familiar
• /..•/<■ of 1','iis^.iMgtjn, IV, 4^0.
34© LEE OF VIRGINIA.
'.J )
as?ault upon his dignity in great good part. ' Ah, Lee, you are a funny
fellow,' said he; 'see, that bird is laughing at you.' "
The following letter of s}-mpathy from General \Vashington to Henry
Lee, was evidently written in response to the news of the deaths of his (first)
wife and son ; indeed, on tlie original were indorsed these words by Lee
himself. " the deaths of my wife and son " : '
" Xew York, Augt. 27th, 1790. My dear Sir, I have been duly
favoured with tlie receipt of your obliging letter dated the 12th of June
last. I am also indebted to you for a long letter written to me in the course
of last year and should have had the pleasure sooner to express my acknowl-
edgments for the tender interest you take on account of my health and
administration, but such is the multiplicity of my avocations, and so
great the pressure of public business as to leave me no leisure for the agree-
able duty of answering private letters from my friends — and although I
shall at all times be hapjiy to hear from them, yet I shall be but an unprofit-
able correspondent, as it will not be in my power to make those returns
which under other circumstances I should have real pleasure in doing.
'• It is unnecessary to assure you of the interest I take in whatever nearly
concerns you. I therefore very sincerely condole with you on your late,
and great losses ; but as the ways of Providence are as inscrutable as just, it
becomes the children of it to submit with resignation and fortitiide to its
decrees as far as the feelings of humanity will allo-A', and your good ;ense
will, I am persuaded, enable you to do this. Mrs. Washington joins me in
these sentiments and with great esteem and regard, I am, my dear Sir," etc.
Henry Lee was twice married; first, in the spring of 1782,' to his
cousin Matilda, daughter of Philip Ludwell. and Elizabeth (Steptoe) Lee,
of Stratford; she died about May, 1790, having had four children; of
these, Xnthaniel (ireene died in early infancy, and Philip Ludwell, when
about seven years old ; the other two, a daughter and son, survived : '
i, Licv CTUv:^IF.s^ l)0'n in 17S6, and died in 1S60; she was married, in
1S03, to Bernard Moore Carter, a son of Charles Carter, by his second
wife, Anne Butler Moore; they had issue: i, Charles Henry, who
'Copied irom the original by Mr. Joseph Packard, Jr.
5 In a desd for dAision of lands, dated 30th of April, tjSa, she was mentioned as the wife of Henry
Lee, Jr.
■•Py a d-ed of trust, dated the i.jth of August, 1790, between Henry Lee, of Stratford, and Matilda, his
wife, of tic first part, and Philip LudwcU Lee, Henr>- Lee, and Lucy Grymes Lee, children of the said
Henry and >!ali'da, of l'.:e second part, and Richard Bland Lee and Ludwell Lee, of the third part, it wai
covenanted that, at the de.itii of said Henry and Matilda, Stratford was to go to the eldest son, Philip Lud-
wcU Lee, and the '• Sugar plantation in Loudoun " to Henry Lee, the youngest son, etc.
t\ ■ : -y.
^r'y[' V-.: ,c,^ I .'
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STRATFORD LIXf:. FIFTH CENERATION. 34I
married Rosalie F>ugenia CaKen, of Piince Cleorge's county, Md., and
had issue: .Eiigenia, Alice. Bernard, Mildred, Annette, Ella, and Mary
R".' "Carter. Of these, Bernard married Mar)- Buckner, daughter of
David Ridgeley, of "White Marsh," Baltimore county, and has issue.
2, Josephine, v.ho married Eugene Erausen, and died without issue.
3, Matilda Lee, who married Thomas ^L ^\'illing, and had six children.
4, Mildred Randolph, who raarried Louis de Potestad, and left a son,
Louis, and other children. 5, Charlotte, who married G. W. Feather-
stonehaugh, of England, and left issue. 6, Bernard Moore, no issue.
ii, Henry ^ See 47.
After his first wife's death, Henry Lee had seriously considered the
idea of going to France, where, as he wrote Washington when consulting him
u[)on the step, a major-general's commission awaited him. Washington
Y/ould give no direct advice, but discouraged the idea, saying he himself
would not think of taking such a step, " because it would appear a bound-
less ocean I was about to embark on, from whence no land is seen. . . .
Tho.:>e in whose hands the government [of France] is intrusted are ready to
tear each other to pieces, and will more than probably prove the worst foes
the country has." This project v/as given up, whether througli the influ-
ence of Washington or from the objection of Mr. Carter, or both, is not
known. Mr. Carter would not consent to a union with his daughter until
assured that tlie French project was abandoned. He wrote, under date of
the 20th Oi -May, 1793 : '*' 1 he only objection we ever had to your connec-
tion with our lieloved daughter is now entirely done away. You have de-
clared upon \'our honor that you ha\'e relinquished all thoughts of going to
France, and we rest satisfied with that assurance. As we certainly know
that you have obtained her consent, you shall have that of her j)arents most
coujialh', to bo joined togelhcr in the liol}' bond.- of niatrimoir,", wlienever
she pleases ; and as it is determined on, by the a})probation and sincere
affection of all frien.ls, as wcW as of the parties ir.iniediatelv concerned, we
think the sooner it takes place the better."
On hearing of this niarriage. Washington writes to Lee, *' . . . As
we are told that you have exchanged the rugt'cd and dangeror.s field of
Mars for the soft and pleasurable t-ed of Venus, I do in this, as I sliall in
every thing you may pursue like unto it, good and laudable, wish you all
imaginable success and hapitiness." '
Henry Lee married, secondly, on the iSth of June, 1793. Anne Hill,
daughter of Charles Carter. o\ •' Shirley," and Anne Butler Moore, his sec-
' Ford's IrWri.'iK^s o/ Gtjr,ce n-'asHn^-ton. XII, 311.
>i, ' '
342 LEE OF VIRGIXIA.
ondwife; Mrs. Lee was born in 1773, and died in 1829; tliey had six
children, the record of their ages given here is from Mrs. Lee's family
Bible.
iii, Algerxon' Sidney*, burn 2d April. 1795; died the 9ih of August,
1796.
iv, Charles Carter*. See 48. . ,
V, Anxe Kinloch*, born the I9lh of June, iSoo; died at Baltimore on
the 20th of February, 1864; she married in 1S25 Jud,L,e William
Louis Marshall; born at " Buckpond," Woodford county, Kentuck),
on the 26ih of September, 1S03; died on the 5th of Oc'obor, 1869,
in Southern California, where he moved after his v.ife's death. Judge
Marshall settled in Baltimore shortly after his marriage, being at that
time a minister ; later he studied law, and e\'entually became one of
the leading jurists of the State, filling several public offices. Judge
Marshall was the second son of Dr. Louis INLirshall and Agatha Smith,
his wife, who was born at ''Oakhiil," Fauquier county, on the 7th uf
October, 1773. and died at " Buckpond," \\'oodford county, Ken-
tucky, in 1 866. Dr. Marshall was the eleventh child of the famous
Col. Thomas ^Lirshall, a schoolmate and life-long friend of Washing-
ton. Colonel Marshall was born in Westmoreland county on the 2d
of April, 1730; removed to Kentucky in 17S5, and died at ^v'a■3hing-
ton. Mason county, in that State, on the 22d of June, 1802. F!e was
also the father of Chief Justice John Marshall. (See Marshall P'amily
under 84.) Judge William Lewis and Anne Kinloch (Lee) ^Larshall
had one .son, Col. Louis Henr_\' Marshall, who was born about 1S27;
graduated at West Point, and was appointed Brevet Second Lieu'.enant,
3d Infantry, on the ist of Jul_\", 1849 ; Second Lieutenant, 5t!i March,
1851: Fiist Lieutenant, loth Infantr}', 3d March, 1S55; Captain,
29th December, 1S60; ?.Lijor, 14th Lifantry, i6th October, 1863;
transferred to 23d Infantry tlie .^i^t of A['iil, 1860; resigned 23d No-
vember, 1S6S; Brevet Colonel, 13th March, 1S65, ''for meritorious
and gallant service during the war." Col. ^Lirshall has been twice
married; first, on the ist of June, 1854, to l-'lorence Burke; ^,e^:o[■'dly,
on the 2d of June, 1S84. to Elvira C. While. With his wife and four
children. Col. Marshall has been living in Southern California. . •
vi, SiDNEV Smith ^ See 49.
vii, Robert Kdwakd*. See 50.
viii, Catharine MilI'RED*', born the 27th of February, iSii, at Alexan-
dria; died at Paris. France, in 1856; she married, in 1831, Edward
. ■ r
1 -.; ')
STRATKORlJ LINE, FIFTH GKNERATIOX. 343
Vernon Childe, and had: i, Edward Lee Childe, who is living in
France; he has been twice married; first, in iS6S, to Blanche de
Trigueti ; secondly, in i8SS, to Marie de Sartiges. 2, Arthur Lee
Childe, who died at Munich in 1S56. •;, Florence Childe, who resides
at Paris; she married in 1S54, Count Henri Sultyk, and has one son,
Count Stanislas Soltyk, born in 1855, and now an officer in the Aus-
trian service. 4, Mary Custis Childe, who married in 1S59, Robert
Gilmor Hoffman, of Baltimore, and died in 1S67, without issue^.'^iiviymo-.
While absent from home in the West Indies, Henry l^ce wrote a series
of letters to his son. Carter, which the latter declared furnished " the best
history of the close of our father's life." " These letters of love and wis-
dom," as General Robert E. Lee called them, are certainly worthy of re-
production here : ^
"Port-au-Prince, St. Domingo, 26t]i June, 1S16. My dear Carter, —
I have just heard by a letter from Henr)- that you are fixed at the Univer-
sity of Cambridge, the seminary of my choice. You will there have not
only ex'cellent examples to encourage your love and practice of virtue, the
only real good in life, but ample scope to j)ursue learning to its bottom,
thereby fitting yourself to be useful to your country and to be an ornament
to your friends.
" You know, my dear son, the deep and afteclionate interest I have
taken in you from the first moment of your existence, and }our kind, amia-
ble disposition will never cease enjoying and amplifyii-;g your father's hap-
piness to the best of your ability. You will do this by preferring the
practice of virtue to all other things ; you know my abhorrence of lying,
and you have been often told by me tliat it led to every vice and cancelled
every tendency to \ irtue. Never forget this truth, and disdain this mean
and infamous practice. Epaminondas, the great Theban who defended his
couiitry when ein'ironed by powerful foes, and was the most virtuous man
of his age, so abhorred hing that he would ne\er tell one even in jest.
Imitate this great man and you may equal him in goodness, infinitely to be
preferred to his greatness. 1 am too sick to continue this discussion,
though I begin to hope I may live to see you, your dear mother, and our
other sweet offspring. I only write now to require that you write monthly to
me. Send your letters Ijy vessels tVom Boston which go to Turk's Island ior
salt ; and inclose them to Mr. Daniel Bascomlie, merchant. He will send
them to me wherever I may be, though I shall not get tliem as expeditiously
'These letters arc tiken from GeiicMl Robert E. Lee's preface to his eJition of l;is father's Memoirs.
e>i
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1,
344 LEE OF VIRCIXIA. T-^o
as my heart desires. This goes to Mr. Wm. Sullivan, a gentlciiian of Bostoii,
who will send it to you, and do you any necessary favor should sickness or
accident rer.der any such favor requisite. He is, too, an exemplary gen-
tleman, worthy of your imitation. There is a little boy, Janies Smith, son
of a Mr. Smith of these islands, at school at Wesifield, not far from Cam-
bridge ; should you ever go that way call and see this bo\-, and assist him
by }-our advice and countenance. He is in a strange land ami far from his
relatives. My prayers are offered to Almighty God for th.e i^rotection of
my darling Carter, and especially for establishing in his heart and conduct
virtue in all its power. I pray you never to forget that virtue is our first
good and lying its deadly foe."
" Turk's Island (on my vo)age to New rro\idence) Sth August, iSi6. —
My dear Carter will have received one letter written as soon as I kneu- he
was settled at Cambridge, and v/hich was sent to the care of Mr. Sullivan,
in Boston. Having this moment an opiiortunit}' to send to New York, I
use it to repeat my love and prayers for his health and advancement in the
acquisition of knowledge from its foundation, not on the surface. This last
turns man into a puppy, and the first fits him fjr the highest utility and
most lasting pleasure. I requested you to write monthly to me, giving to me
with clearness and brevity a narrative of your studies, recreaticins, and your
relish for the occupations wliich em{)loy you in and out of ci'lie:.e. Never
mind your style; but write your first impressions quickly, clear!}- and
honestly. St}le will come in due time, as will maturit}- of iudguK-nt. Above
all things earthly, even love to the best of mothers and your ever-devoted
father, I entreat \ou to cherish truth and abhor deception. Dwell on the
virtues, and imitate, as far as lies in your power, the great and goud men
whom history presents to our vie\s'.
" ' Minerva I Let such exnmplcs teach thee to beware,
Against (jreat God thou utter aught profane ;
And, if perchance, in riches or in power
Thou shinest sui)t^rior, be not insolent ;
lor, know, a day suiixeth to exalt
^ , C)r to depress the state of murlal man.
The N^iiC and good are by our (Jod beloved,
But those who practice evil he abhors.'
"You have my favorite precept, instilled from your infancy by my
lips, morning, noon, and night, in my familiar talks with }oii, here pre-
sented to your mind in the })urity and elegance of the Grecian tragedian
[Sophocles]. You never, I trust, will forget to make it the cardinal rule of
your life. It will, at least, arrest any tendency to imitate the low, degrad-
A :-.;7-; ( 1
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W V I ,1
■7 -■■ '•,■
■it:.
STRATFORD LIKE, FIFTH GENERATION. 345
ing usage, too comuiun, of swearing in conversation, especially with your
inferiors. My miserable state of health improves by occasional voyaging in
this fine climate, with the sage guidance of a superior physician to v/hom I
am now returning. When Boston fails to give you opportunities to write
as iK-fore directed, >cndyour letters to Mr. William Goddard, in Provi-
dcp.ce, who will forward them to me."
" Caicos, 30th September, iSi6. October is near at hand, and no
letter from my beloved Carter; notwithstanding I have been waiting to you
ever since I learned that you were at Cambridge, and the salt vessels are
weekly arriving at the adjacent islands, and I had asked my friends, Mr. Sulli-
van and Mr. Goddard, to forward your letters. What can this m.ean ?
Anvthing, I know, my dear son, but your lukewarmness of devotion and
love to your father. I have been detained three months on my way to my
Spanish doctor in Nassau, the chief town of Providence, where I hope to
be partially restored or to die in the attempt ; why, then, will you not give
me the delight of reading your letters 1 Write, I entreat you, your thoughts
iu^t as they come, and in the order and fashion in v/hich they arise. . . .
I am very serious in this requisition ; and if your letters exhibit labor,
instead of negligent ease, I shall be unhappy. Never show those for me
to vcur preceptor or any one else. Speak from your heart to my heart :
that is what 1 want, and want only. In Barbadoes, where I landed from
Alexandria, and v.hcre I resided six months, I often wrote to you and some-
times to Anne, but never heard from either. One of those letters treated
on the subject of your advance and progress through life, and I will here
repeat some of its contents. . . . Important as it is to understand nature in
its range and bearing, it is more so to be prepared for usefulness, and to
render ourselves pleasing by underNtanding well the religious and nioral
knowledge of right and wrong, to investigate thoroughly the hi>tory of
mankind, and to be familiar with those examples which show loveliness of
truth, and demonstrate the reasonableness of our oinnions by past e\-ents.
Providence and justice manifest their excellence at all times and in all
places; we are called to moralize daily, but we seldom turn to geometry;
with intellectual nature we have constant intercourse, but speculations upon
matter are rare, and w hen much at leisure, we know little of the skill of our
acquaintance in astronomy, though we daily see him, but his integrity, his
ber.evolence, his truth and prudence instantly appear. Read therefore the
best poets, the best orators, and the best historians ; as from them you
draw principles of moral truth, axioms of prudence and material for con-
versation. This was tlie opinion of the great Socrates. He labored in
.) 1 ;■■ !
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346 LEE OF VIRGINIA. t"l,;
Athens to turn philosophy from the study of nature to the study of life.
He justly thought man's great business was to learn how to do good, and to
avoid evil. Be a steady, ardent disciple of Socrates; and regard virtue,
whose temple is built upon truth, as the chief good. I would rather see
you unlearned and unnoticed, if virtuous in practice as well as theory, than
to see you the equal in glory to the great Washington ; but virtue and
wisdom are not opponents; they are friends and coalesce in a few charac-
ters such as his. A foolish notion often springs up with young men as they
enter life, namely, that the opinion of the world is not to be regarded ;
whereas, it is the true criterion, generally speaking, of all things that
terminate in human life. To despise its sentence, if possible, is not just ;
and if just, is not possible. So think now, and be confirmed as you advance.
Tell me about my dear Smith and Robert : their genius, temper, their
disposition to learn, their diligence, and jjersevcrance in doing what is
assigned to them. Tell me the whole truth ; and be virtuous, which will
render you happy."
"Nassau, New Providence, 1 Dec. 1816. My Dear Carter has never
answered one of the many letters to him, from the day 1 understood he was
placed by his dear mother at Cambridge; my misfortune, not your fault.
I have confidence in your heart, not to be shaken ; and I know, ardent and
constant as has been my love for you, correspondent at least has been your
affection and respect for me. ... I occasionally sent you a book, which
I commended to your serious stud_\-, but whether any ha\e ever reached you,
I do not know. Now I must urge you, as the library at Cambridge will
present to your discrimination a large collection, to avoid all frivolous au-
thors; such as no\'cl writers, and all skeptical authors, wlielhcr religious,
philosophic, or moral. Adhere to history and ethical authors of unrivalled
character; first of the latter description is John Locke; do not only read
hint', but study him ; do not only study, but consult liim as the Grecians
did the Delphic oracle. Make him the director oi^ _\our mind and the
guide of \our l;;cubrations. Francis Bacon (\*iscount of St. Alban's, I
believe) is wonderfully instructi\e ; though of cowardly, desfiicable charac-
ter. The Karl of Shaftesbury, Locke's patron, is like Locke himself, in
another way. Dean Swift commands your high admiration and is truly
instructive, as well as infinitely agreeable. Da\-id Hume is at the head of
English historians, and his essays abound with shining information to the
mind, as do Johnson's works. .Among the English poets prefer Pope; he
is worthy of uni\ersal applause, far superior to Milton, as his ///ui/ com-
pared with Paraiiisc Lost evinces.
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STRATFORD LINK, FIFTH GFKERATION. 347
" I trust you are a good classic, and then among the ancients pore over
'I'aciius, Xenoj'hon, Julius Ciesar, and Pols-bius in f<rose, and Homer and
Sophocles in verse. Virgil is Homer's excellent imitator, but far below
the transcendant Greek. Lucretius, ' de natura rennn,' is full of marks of
sujjerior genius ; but he supj)orts atlieism, and inciti-s in the mind wonder
at his folly and compassion for his error, with, indignation for the possible
injury he might do to the human race. If 1 had not partly read him, I
never could l:avc believed there ever lived a man who was in judgment an
atheist. If \uu have not Locke in your college library, tell me, and I will
furnish you; as I will with the meditations of Marcus Aurelius, the great
and good emperor, adopted bv Antoninus, his equal in excellence, whose
name he bears in history. In the first of his tneditations, he thus speaks
of. himself, which I give summarily, to excite your desire to become in-
timate v,-ith him and to emulate him:
"' From the example of my grandf.Ulier I acquired avirUious disposition and an habitual
command over my ten\per. From my ov.n father I learned to behave with modesty, jet
with manly hrinne?s on all occasions. My mother I have imitated in piety, and have been
taught not only to ab^tain from vice, but to abhor the thought of it, and she tauijht me to be
simple and abstemious in diet. To my ^aandfather I am indebted for the best masters ; and
from the governor of my early (.la_\s I le.;rned to avoid races, games, and such diversions;
substituting for thr-m ha.'dsLips and fatigues; to reduce the conveniences of life into a nar-
row compass, to wait upon myself; never to listen to calumny, or to meddle v/ith the busi-
ness of others. Dignetus stopped rae from pursuing triiles and from believing the vulgar
tales of prodigies, spirits, and such kind of follies. He taught me to bear patiently the ad-
monitions of my friends ;• to sleep on a hard couch; and, while a bpy, to write dialogues.
From Roaticus I learned, not to assu^iie any state in my deportment; to write letters in a
plain, unornatneuted style ; to be readily reconciled to all who had injured me, when they
seemed inclined to do right ; to read ^vil]^ care and attention ; not to be content with a gen-
eral, superficial view of the subject, nor to recede from my opinion only when convinced it
was error. ApoUoniu^ taught me to maintain the freedom of mind ; a constancy independent
of fortune; and to keep a steady eye in the most minute instances to the dictates of reason ;
to preserve an even temper always, even in joy or pain ; and to be like him, rigid in prin-
ciple, but easy and affiible in nuuiiierj. In .'^ext'.is I had -.n example of a truly benevolent
disposition, and of a family governed wiih paternal care and a'fection. Like iiini, I deter-
mined to live according to nature, simple arid unaffected ; and, like him, to acquire reputa-
tion without noi.-e, and deep learning without ostentation. I imitate my relative, Severus, in
love of my relations and of truth and justice; and from Claudius 1 learned to be always mas-
ter of myself, and never to yield to passion.
"You will agree that a .boy thus reared must turn out good and
great when a man ; and you will, I hope, hold before your eyes a^ a
model, Marcus Amelius. It is a small book, and its precepts should be en-
graven upon your mind and habituated in your conduct, ^'ou write, I
hope, regukul)- to your dear mother, and to Henry, also to your sister
\n
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348 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Auue, and your brother Sydney. This will improve them and cement your
mutual afiecticn. .My letters you must keep and give them lo Smith to
read. . . . M)' health is better. I hope to leave this place in April, if
I live. Fareuell, my dear son."
"Nas.san. 9 lebiuary, 1S17. My beloved Carter's letter of July 25th
came to hand, not on the birth day of the great and good Washington,
but in his birth month, and infused into his father's heart an overflow
of delight, in defiance of the torturing pains of disease. Always dear to
me, ahvays the .-ource of delicious anticipations, I see, from your first per-
formance ample evidence that my fond hopes will not be disappointed. Go
on in the road of truth to the temple of virtue, where dwell her handmaids,
modesty, tem.perarice, benevolence, fortitude, and justice. Fame in arms
or art, however conspicuous, is naught, unless bottomed on virtue. Think,
therefore, of fame only as the a{>pendage to virtue; and be virtuous, though
p!>or, humble, and scorned.
" Remember how often I liave prayed you to imitate Epaminondas in
his regard for truth, if you cannot a-^pire to follow hiui in his trail of true
glory. He is m\ fa\orite Grecian ; and next to him Aristides, whom you
place as second to Alcibiades. To bring the reasoning home to you, your
dearest mother is singularly pious from love to Almighity God and love of
virtiie, which r-re synonynious; )iot from fear of hell — a low, liase influ-
ence. Your dear rno'.her recalls to my mind our dear Anne, Smith, Robert,
and my unkno\vn. You ought to have said something of them all, their
growth, their health, their amusements, their occupations, their progress in
literature, their tempers as they open, and last, not least, their love and devo-
tion to their good m.anniia. . . . Your brother delineates to me your charac-
ter with all the affection of his generous heart. . . . My dear Lucy, too, her
excellent husband and sweet progeny, ought not to have escaped }our atten-
tion. Two sheet:-, instead of one and a half, might have been so employed ;
and the more I read from my darling son the more J feast. ... I cannot
ansv.cr \-ourquer\ coi>. ern lug WashingtOii's charger,^ nor withliold my admira-
tion for your tender regard for useful animals, with gratitude to those from
whom v.eliave derived services. You know I am almost an Egyptian in my love
for the cow and ox ; yet afier their daily service through life, after the third
year 1 always fallen, kill, and eat them. The subject which you touch has
been decided rather from feeling than judgment; we will discuss it when we
meet. \'our panegyric on Shakespeare is all just, but when )0u read the
1 Whether he was shot in h!i olJ age, as is said to be customary in Englanti, or as some asserted Wash-
ington d'd with his war-hoise.
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH C;ENF.RATION. 349
Athenian, Sophocles, you will find his superior, at least his equal, in all the
requisites of tragedy.
" Eloquence is our first gift in civic walks, nor is it without great ad-
vantage in war. To be eloquent you must understand thoroughly your sub-
ject; out of the abundance of knowledge the tongue uttereth just ideas;
voice, gesticulation, manner maybe acquired with care, but knowledge can-
not be acquired but by labor, and that by night as well as by day- In every
distinguished character nature gives the turn and scope ; art and study pol-
ish and spread. . . . Tell me in your reply what are your expenses in toto,
designating every item and the sum it demands. Tell me your diversions,
amusements, and bodily exercises; whether at ball, long bullets, «Jec. The
climate of Cambridge is much colder than that of your native country.
How does it agree with you? Pray guard against cold ; it is the stepping-
stone to other diseases ; I re]^eat my entreaty to save yourself from its in-
juries, and I prav you also to cherish your health by temperance and exer-
cise. It is hard to say whether too much eating or too much drinking most
undermines the constitution ; you are addicted to neither, and will, I am
sure, take care to grow up free from both. Cleanliness of person is not
only comely to all beholders, but is indispensable to sanctity of body.
Trained by your best of mothers to value it, you will never lose sight of it.
To be plain and neat in dress conforms to good sense and is emblematic of
a right mind. Many lads, who avoid the practices mentioned, fall into
another habit which hurts only themselves and which certainly stupefies the
senses — immoderate sleeping. You know how I love my children ; and
how dear Smith is to me. Give me a true description of his person, mind,
ten"ii)er, and habits. Tell me of Anne ; has she grown tall? And how is
m)- last in looks and understanding? Robert was always good, and will
be confirmed in his hapny turn of mind by his ever-watchful and affectionate
mother. Does he strengthen his native tendency?
"You speak of the • soul ' in your letter. I trust you mean by the
word the faculty which the iVlini-hty ha.s imbued us v\'ith, of thinking,
reasoning, and concluding ; as he has given to our eyes the faculty of see-
ing, our ears of hearing, and our nerves of feeling. You do not mean by
the soul a being connected with the body. Mr. Locke will put you right
on all subjects of this sort, and ought to be revered by all who love truth
and seek knowledge. When you study natural philosophy, and admire, as
you must, Sir Isaac Xev.ton, forget not Pythagoras ; he announced and
taught the principle that Xewton has so profoundly explained, — the earth
turning on its axis and all the planets turning around the sun. I have a
book which I wish to send you for your constant perusal — Bacon. It is
-o\'n.. ^, MK'
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35© LEE OF VIRGINIA.
most edifying, and worthy of your exact acquaintance : and yet superb in
genius and profound in knou'ledge as was Sir Francis Bacon, he was ah-no-'.t
proverbially base and mean ; a rare example of delmseraent of mind with
richness of knowledge.
"Did you ever get a gim and letters from me more than six months
ago? Do voi: ride and shooi well? I'hese are secondary, but they are
agreeable, useful, and manly. ' (TZ/z/f derivatiis .? ' is a scholastic interrogatory ;
be assured, it is ail important to correct literature; and you will, I hope,
thoroughly meet it. When }ou have the derivation of every \sord, you can
never forget the language nor be at a loss for its p'urest use. Your letter has
been four days in my possession, and is always before me when capable of
diverting my attention from my body. Mr. Mcintosh, whose father was
an officer in a corps against which I was employed when in the southern
war, has made my house his home, and with his daughter, bestowed every
effort in their power to soften my pains. She was as kind, and as tender,
and as constant i^s would have been my daughter, and read all tlie letters I
have received ; among them one from Henry. She admired his heart and
filial love. Being here at present, I sent her your letter, acquainted as she
was with n;iy affection and hopes for my Carter. "\'ou have her note return-
ing the letter. My Spanish doctor has done me good, and sometimes in-
spires hopes of partial restoration. I leave here as soon as spring arrives,
whatever may be my condition, and land in tJie South, to graduate my
experience of change of climate. . . . May God Almighty cherish, l^less
and guide my dear son, is and ever will be the prayer of his loving father."
"Nassau, New Providence, 19 April, 1817. J answered your second
letter, my dear Carter, directly after its receipt; and now repeat, so fond
am I of cultivating acquaintance with my beloved boy. In my last I told
you that my disea.sc had at length yielde<l in a degree, and that I hoped
still to mend ; but whether or not, my return hom.e v>ou]d take place in a
few weeks, directing my course to the South, as a warm cliniatc still con-
tinues necessary f;u me. Before this day month, I expect to find a vessel
to South Carolina or Georgia, when I shall embark. Mr. Goddaid v.-ill be
infornied where to address your letters. But at all events, at'ter May, send
them by the various vessels going to Charleston from Boston, to the care of
General Pinckney ; indeed you might inclose them in a slaort epistle, asking
his attention, and telling him you took the liberty in consequence of my
diiections Send always by vessels, as thus General Pinckney will be put
to no expense. His Christian name is Thomas, and his title Major-
General. Tell me all about your dear mother and my children, hn- scarcely
■ '•;?
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STRATFORD LIXE, FIFTH GENERATION. 35 1
do I ever hear from Henry, although I am sure he writes every two
weeks.
" I find your mind is charmed with eloquence, and I infer that the bar
is the theatre selected for its display. The rank of men, as estal'lished by
the concurrent judgment of ages, stands thus : heroes, legislators, orators,
and poets. The most useful and, in my opinion, the most honorable is the
legislator, which so far from being incompatible with the profession of law,
is congenial to it. Generally, mankind admire most the hero; of all, the
most useless, except v.-hen the safety of a nation demands his saving arm.
Confessedly. .A-lcxander, CK-^ar, and Hannibal stand on the summit, in the
days of Greece and Rome. Much as the two first will be admired for their
magnanimous conduct, and loved for their mental excellency, the correct
mind can never applaud the object for which they wasted human life,
and will ever mingle with its admiration, execrations bitter and degrad-
ing.
•' Hannibal, whom I am inclined to consider the first soldier of the
three, and v.hom I belie\-e to I'C the equal of the other two in all the quali-
ties which endear individuals to those around them, had a justifiable cause
of war against the Romans. Their enmity to Carthage u as known; and
his father, as well as himself, and all other enlightened and honest Cartha-
ginians, long liefore his crossing the Alps, had been convinced by past
events that the safety of Carthage hung upon the humbling of Rome, v,-hich
this prince of soldiers would have completely effected, had not Hanno's
envy and malice, supported I'y his faction in the Senate, crossed and
stunted all Hannibal's plans and means. It has ever been a cause of regret
with me that the histor\- of this superior man has never reached us. We
know him only from the records of his enemies ; and these, notwithstand-
ing Roman hatred and prejudice, leave him first of antiquity in cabinet and
field. Polybius, being a Grecian, maybe considered impartial; but his
personal intimacy and almost dependence on Scipio Africanus may justly
beget suspicion, that he did nor di^plav candor on the virtues and exploits
of Hannibal. Lycurgus, Solon, Xuma, the second King of Rome, attract
universal admiration as legislators ; and how can Alexander, Cxsar, and
Hannibal be compared with them in the promotion of hunian good — the
only way in which man can, however humbly, imitate Almighty God and
merit our love. Greece, before the grand military exploit of taking Troy,
was, like the northern nations "of Europe of that day, barbaroMS ; but after
their expedition against the Trojans their advance was rapid to the high
reputation which they preserved until their subjugation by the Macedonians.
Petty states, always fighting with each other, with Persia, or Philip, or
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352 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ^ '^5S
Alexander, they nevertheless rose to the summit of improvement in the
arts of peace and war; emphatically demonstrating that the constant ex-
ercise of the mind, struggling to maintain freedom and independence of
the state, brings forth that superb display of genius v/iiich attains in a
little time the highest rank in literature and the arts. This is not ex-
emplified by Greece alone ; for the same result was produced by the per-
petual wars among the small states of Italy, until Rome succeeded in con-
quering all. From the settlement of Italy by the Pelasgi, who inhaljitated'
Arcadia in the Peloponnesus, now Alorca, nearly four centuries passed be-
fore the time of Numitor, predecessor of Romulus; but as the history of
that period is traditional, we know but little save that the different repub-
lics were always contending for mastership, which at last settled on Rome.
Covetous of dominion and military in habit, after having subdued Italy,
they went to Africa, Asia, and the contiguous regions of Europe, in quest
of additional subjugation, till they brought under their dominion nearly all
the world then known to them. In such continuation of wars at home and
abroad, the mind was always on the stretch, and heroes, statesmen, orators,
and poets, in abundance, were the certain consequence. In England, too,
we find the same cause producing the same effect. During the civil wars,
when the mind was in constant excitement, genius was resplendent, espe-
cially in enjoying the tranquillity of peace, which is always the case. Refer
to the history of Charles I., the Protector, and Charles II. ; again to James,
and the Revolution, which was achieved by his expulsion, and the elevation
of William and Mary, when British liberty, always the first object of our
British ancestors, was fully established. The extraordinary philosopher,
Roger Bacon, a friar, flourished long before this period, having been born
in 1214; but Francis, Lord Bacon, a man of singular mental powers, died
not long before Charles's accession to the throne ; he was followed by
Harvey, who was succeeded by Boyle, after whom came Sir Isaac Newton.
In poetry, Milton, Jonson, Waller, Denham, Otway, and Dryden, adorned the
above-mentioned period. In our own day we have experienced the display
of genius during the convulsions of France, begun for the purpose ot
ameliorating the political condition of the country; in which laudable work
the virtuous Louis XVI. embarked with truth and zeal. Even our own
country never exhibited such a display of genius before or since as she did
during her eight years' war.
" It may therefore be considered as a truth demonstrated by the history
of man, that a continuous and ardent excitement of the mind, especially in
regaining lost or defending menaced rights, {)laces man in that train of mind
and body which brings forth the greatest display of genius; especially alter
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STRATKORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. jg^
the Storm has subsided, and the mind, reposing with security in the sweets .1
of tranquillity, meditates without fear. i ', / -,-, ..
" When you answer, be sure to tell me what is your general state of
health, what your hours of sleep, whether you eat cojaously or sparingly,
and your age; and be sure to take up in life the custom of fasting two or
three days, living on bread and water, when disordered, rather than swallow
drugs. Adieu, my dear son."
"Nassau, 5 May, 1S17. Having within a feAv days, my dear Carter,
received letters from home, yours of February last was inclosed by your
dear mother. Your defence of your favorite Milton is entitled to much
consideration ; although it approaches to literary impiety, when you approxi-
mate him so close to Homer ; but it cannot remove the objections I have to
your poet, nor arrest my preference of Pope. ^ Homo sum ; humani nihil a
me alienum puio.' Had Milton condescended to treat of men — and their
history affords untried subjects fit for epic poetry in abundance — I should
have perused his works with delight, though not with Homeric rapture, and
nriight have classed him -with the first of English poets; but as he has pre-
ferred angels to men, my ignorance of that order of beings and their theatre
of action deprives rne of the capacity to perceive the poet's beauty and to
decide upon the merits of his poem. Indeed, travelling with him, terra
itjcogruta, I become weary, and shut up the book, to be opened only by
those who can comprehend celestial personages and celestial battles.
" I never could read a novel, because it was the narrative of imaginary
action ; and yet I have seen many grave men and pious ladies bedew their
cheeks and exclaim, ' How natural, how affecting!' with Fielding in tlieir
hand. Paradise Lost is to me alike distasteful ; and I must adhere to Pope,
because he treats of man and his ways. In one of my letters I urged you
to acquire French, not only to read, but to speak; and now I renew my
advice with nnxious zeal. If you could only thereby be benefitted with the
perusal of Racine, you would be liberally rewarded. Sophocles, Euri{'ides,
in Greek; Racine, and Voltaire's Hcnriade, in French; are enough to
invest your young mind with true taste, even had the immortal Homer and
his coadjutor Virgil been lost to man.
"But there is another matter which very much affects my heart, and
which I have glanced at in some of my letters, the acquirement of complete
self-command. It is the pivot upon which the character, fame, and inde-
pendence of us mortals hang. Turn your attention steadily and closely to
this cardinal quality, and habituate yourself at once to reject with disdain
every temptation which may assail your self-dominion. Thus are the
23
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354 I'EE Of VIRGINIA. 5:'^
passions, the a[)i)etites, the cravings subjected to reason, and thus does weak
man humbly assimilate himself to his Almic;hty Creator. Encircled as were
Alexander and Scipio by the glories of the field and the cabinet, their self-
command evinced on the most trying occ.isicms — when even beauty, the
most captivating, and in their I'ower by the riglit of conquest, was sheltered
from the rude touch of passir)n — threw around their names the splendor of
virtue which overshadowed all their glory.
"What breast is so callous to noble feelings as not to i)ant to be
called their rivals? In one road only is llie youth to v^alk whose mind is
thus ennobled. He must begin with himself when young, and his occupa-
tions at that period are of the inferior sort, lie can only become a true dis-
ciple of future glory by watching his tongue and his purse. Let not the
first utter a word injurious to truth, decency, or another's peace ; and never
sufter want or temptation to induce the v^anton disbursement of the last, but
take up the determination to spend only what is absolutely necessary, and
thus assume tlic habit of retaining part of your pecuniary allowance for
casualities to which your own body is liable, and another part to enable
you to help a friend when afflicted with distress. That you may at once
begin and travel on to the goal under your father's guidance, ascertain
exactly the sum necessary for your next year, specifying the several items ;
and record from week to week every expression actuated by passion, and
its consequences to truth, decorum, and another's peace. . . .
"Thank you for Henry's address to his district; it does honor to his
political principles, as well as to his literary talents. By a letter lately from
him, he is married and I hope happily. I shall have another daughter to
embrace and admire when I get home. Lucy also wrote to me ; by which
I learn the fate of Woodstock, and Mr. Carter's removal to Philadelphia.
But all those dear to me — all thanks to the great Cod — were well, un-
stained by follies even, much le.^s by offences against morality. Adieu, my
beloved son." ...
" Nassau, June iS, 1S17. My dear Carter will receive this adilitional
letter, though I never e.\pected to write again from hence; this is, too,
the day of the month when your dear mother became my wife, and it is
not so hot in this tropical region as it was then at Shirley, though situated
in the temperate zone. Since that happy day, marked only by the union
cff two humble lovers, it has beco.ne cop.?i)icuous as the day that our war
with Great Britain was declared iri ^^'ashington ; and the one that sealed
the doom of l'.oi'.a])arte on the field of Waterloo. The British general,
rising gri2,/t7////i from his first blow struck in Portugal, climbed on that day
ifi nJi v
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 355
to the summit of fame and became distinguished by the first of titles, ' De- '""•
iivcrer of the civilized world.' Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar, among
the ancients; Marlborough, Eugene, Turenne, and Frederick among the
moderns — opened their arms to receive him as a brother in glory. I scarcely ,^,
believe that Hannibal and Frederick would claim him as theirs especially.
There is a similitude in the leading circumstances of my three heroes:
the first contended against Rome, the greatest nation then on earth ; Fred-
erick against Austria, in that day like Rom.e ; and Wellington against
France, the colossal power in late days. The first and last fought, too, at
the head of troop's, partly their own countrymen and partly Spaniards;
Frederick may be said to ha\-e commanded Prussians only, an advantage
never to be doubted in war. Frederick and Wellington succeeded com-
pletely in their objects ; Hannibal was lost because the senator Hanno, great
in intluence in Carthage, withheld, more or less, supplies of men, money,
and munitions ; preferring the gratification of his personal hatred to the
prosperity of his country, which in the issue became ruined. The first two
resembled each other in tv/o points of character replete with weight in all
affairs of man, viz., foresight and economy; Wellington certainly equals
them in the first, and, for aught I know, may in the last. Both are essen-
tial to perfection, and the last is indispensable ; as without it, the first
power penetrated must be crushed in its efforts for want of means, which
the last affords in a constant adequate current. This admirable habit grows
out of reflection and love of personal independence, and happy the youth,
v.hether in higli or low condition, who clings to it as his palladium.
Frederick, whose character I so much admire, was remarkable for his fru-
gality, or rather economy and assiduity. I wish to hold him up to your
imitation. ... He rose at four; went to bed at ten ; was temperate in all
things; he knew everything to be done; and saw everything done in due
season. He was liberal in his gifts to the deserving, but he measured them
by his fiscal ability and his fiscal wants; thus he never wanted money, never
missed the opportunity of advancing his nation's prosperity because the
means were not ready. He had early habituated himself to keep his wants
within his means, and this habit became confirmed as he grew up, and ad-
hcied to him till his death. You may acquire the same ; and in your little
affairs, alike important to you as his great affairs were to him, it will be sure
to produce the same effects. That it should begin at once, I learn by
letters from your dear mother, is indispensable, as your expenses transcend
your allowance. Do think seriously and constantly on this subject. Write
to me frankly, and you shall hear from mo in the spirit of love and desire
to gratify all requisite claims. I find the vessel in which I ex}>ected to
356 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' r, /
embark to-morrow has changed its destination. I am disappointed, and
must embrace any favorable opportunity, without regard to place of arrival.
Do not write to me until you hear from me after my anival."
"Nassau, 3 September, 1S17. My Dear Carter, — I wrote a few days
since to the care of Mr. Goddard, to tell you that my only chance of get-
ting to the United States is in a vessel destined for Savannah, to sail in ten
or fifteen days. I conclude to embrace the o})portunit3', fiia/gre season and
distance from home. Relieved much from my long torture of pain, ray
mind is retVeshed, and I can calmly meet difficulty. You must write from
Boston, under cover to Mr. Joseph Thorne, merchant, in Savannah ; and
detail to me your expenses, and the sum necessary to defray them. . . .
Avoid debt, the sink of mental power and the subversion of independence,
which draws into debasement even virtue, in appearance certainly, if not in
reality. ^A man ought nof only to be virtuous in reality, but he must a/so
a/ways appear so ;' thus said to me the great Washington. I have the fol-
lowing books for you, to be sent only when I have a sure conveyance : —
Ncu'top' s Principia, 3 vols. ; Asiatic Researches, 5 vols., and Quintius Cur-
tius, the historian of Alexander Magnus ; valuable all of them, and v.ill I
trust be prized by you, not because they come from me, but for their own
superior worth. I hope and beg you will read well and speak better the
French language. . . . Begin with a grammar, a dictionary, and two hours
per day will give yoi thq reading ; a French family's acquaintance will give
you the speaking. Farewell, my ever dear son."
THE CARTER FAMILY.
So far as known, the first of this prominent and influential family to
emigrate to Virginia was John Carter, who was born in England, and settled
first in Upper Norfolk, now Nansemond count}', which he represented as
Burgess in 1649 ; later he settled in Uancaster, from which county he was a
Burgess in 1654, and commanded the t^'orces sent against the Rappahannock
Indians. " Both himself and his eldest son John appear on the vestry-book
as members of the vestry in the year 1666, the father having been acting in
that capacity before — how long not known. The father, who died in
1669, had previously built, by contract, the first church standing on the
spot where Christ Church now is, and the vestry received it at the hands of
his son John, in six months after his father's death. . . . The first John
Carter had three wives,' ist, Jane, the daughter of Morgan Glyn, by whom
' .Mr. W. G. Stinard tkinki John Carter was married five times, that the " Elenor Carter" mentioned
on tombstone was his second wife, not a daughter, and that his last wife was Eiizabeth Shirley whom he
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENl.RATIOX.
357
he IkkI Geuri^e and F^leanor ; 2d, Ann, the daughter of Cleave Carter,
probably of ICnghnd ; 3d, Sarali, the daughter of Gabriel Ludlowe, by
whom he had Sarah. All of these died before him, and he was buried
with them, near the chancel, in the church which he built, and the tomb-
stone from which we take the above, covers them all, being still in the
same position in the present cliurch." {Old C/iurches, Faiiiiiies, II, 1 10,
^/ seij.
The epitaph from this stone, which still (1894) lies on the right hapd
of the chancel, reads :
Here lyeth buried ye body of John Carter, Esq., who died ye loth of June, Anno Domini
1669; and also Jane, y: daughter of Mr. Morgan Glyn, and George her son, and Elenor
Carter, and Ani!, y= daughter of Mr. Cleave
Carter, and Sarali, y= daughter of Mr. Gabriel
Ludlow, and Sarah her daughter, which were all
his wives successively, and died before him.
John Carter was a member of the
Council in 1657, and anotlier of the
same name v/as a member m 1724,
probably a grandson. Beside the cliil-
dren meritioned al)ove, apparentl} he left
two other sons, Robert and Charles, or
three sons in all. The eldest, John, was
twice m.arried, and had issue; Charles
probably left issue also, but of neither is
there any accurate account. From the
second surviving son, Robert, generally
known as '-King Carter," the Virginia
family is cliieily descended. Piobert Carter, of " Corotoman," Lancaster
county, was born in 1663, and died in 1732; he was twice manied; first,
in 168S, to Judith, eldest daughter of John Armistead, "the Councillor;"
she died the 23d of February, 1699, in the eleventh year of her marriage,
having '■ borne to her husband tour daughters and one son, whereof, Sarah
and Judith Carter, died before and are buried near her" (tombstone).
He married, secondly, in 1701, Mrs. Elizabeth Willis, a daughter of
Thomas Landon, of England ; she was born in 16S4, and died in 1719 ; by
these two wives he had twche children.
From five of his daughters, so many distinguished men have descended
that a brief mention of them is desirable :
manied 34 Oct., iCtS ; she was not buried with her husband, but wis mentioned in his will with her sen,
Chirlfs. ;Krith, Amairy 0/ Binjamin Harrison, etc , p. S7.)
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358 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ■'^■'^"'
i, Elizabeth Carter, married twite; first, Nathaniel Burwell, who died
in 171:1, aged 40 years, and had Lewis, Carter, Robert, and Elizabeth,
who married William Nelson, President ot" the Council, and father of
Thomas Nelson, the Signer ; his widow, then, married George Nicholas,
M. D., and liad Robert Carter Nicholas, Treasurer of Va.. the father of
(jOv. ^\'i!so^ Car)' Nicholas, and also of Elizabeth, who married Ed-
mund Randolph, first Attorney-General of the United States, and also
Governor of Virginia. Edmund Randolph was the eldest son of John
and Ariana (jenings) Randol[)h, and great-grandson of Gov. Edmund
and Frances (Corbin) Jenings.
ii, Juiniii Carter married Mann Page, of "Rosewell," Gloucester county,
being his second wife, and had six children ; her three surviving sons,
Mann, John, and Robert, became respectively the ]jrogenitors of the
three branches of that Htmily. Judith Carter was, therefore, the an-
cestioss of the Pages of Virginia.
iii, .Vkxe Carter married Benjamin Harrison, of "Berkeley," Charles
City county, and had issue: Anne (who married William Randolph,
of '-Wilton," and had issue), Elizabeth (who married Peyton Ran-
dolph, President of the first Continental Congress), Benjamin, the
Signer (and father of General William Henry Harrison), Carter
Henry (of ''Clifton," who married Susannah, daughter of Isham Ran-
dolph, of '' Dungeness," and had issue), Charles (who was a brigadier-
general in the Revolutionary Army, married Mary, daughter of x\u-
gustine Claiborne), Nathaniel (Speaker of the State Senate, Sherift' of
I'rince William county, 1779, ii'^-ii'ried, hist, Mary, daughter of Ed-
mund Ruftin, and next .\nne, daughter of ^Villiam Gilliam), Robert,
who died before 1771, and two daughters, who were killed by light-
ning with their father.
iv, Mary Carter married George Braxton.
V, Ei'cv Carter married Col. Henry hiizhugh, and had issue (see 2, vii).
I'rom lour sons of ]<obert Carter are descended the later generations
of this family; these four were, John, Robert, Charles, and Landon.
i, JoHV, '■ Secretary," eldest son. married about 1723, Elizabeth, daugh-
ter of Edward Hill, Jr., of "Shirley," Charles City county, and had
three children : 1, Elizabeth (1731-1760), who married Col. William
B}Td, of " W'estover," and had: William, John, Thomas, Elizabeth
(who married James Parke Earley), and Ottway Byrd. 2, Charles '
^The Kl!oiAi:i5 ob'tuary notici; of liiiii was found among the papers of his daughter, Mrs. Henry Lee:
Died on Sauiniay tlic 23th of Jui:e, iSc6, Charles Carter, E3<i., of Shirley,' aged 70 years. His long
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STRATFORD LINE, KHTH GEXERATIDX. 359
(1736-1806). of "Shirley." was twice married; fust, in 1756, to
Mary W. Carter (i 736-1 770. daughter of Cliarles. of " Cleves," and
Mary Walker, his first wife) ; she died the 30th of January, 1770, and
he married, secondly, Anne Butler Moore, daughter of Bernard and
Anne Catharine (S{;ots'.\-ood) Moore, Sr., of "Chelsea," King William
county. By his first wife he had issue: John Hill and Charles, who
died without issue ; George (who married Lelia Skipwith), Mary
(who married Col. Robert Randolph, of -'Eastern View," Fauquier
county), Charles (of " Mt. Atlas," married Nancy, daughter of Robert
W. Carter, of •' Sabine Hall "), Edward (of "• Cloverland," married
Jane, daughter of John Carter, of "Sudley "), and Landon, who died
without issue. By his second wife Charles Carter, of '' Shirley," had:
Robert Hill (who died without issue). Anne Hill (who was the second
wife of General Henry Lee, see 35), Dr. Robert (who married Mary,
daughter of General Thomas Nelson, of York, and had issue; among
ihem, see 77, Note), Bernard and John, who died without issue; Kate
Spotswood (who married Dr. Carter Berkeley), Bernard (who married
Lucy, daughter of General Henry Lee, and had issue, see 35, i), Wil-
liams (of Hanover, who married Charlotte Foushee), Butler and
Mildred, who had no issue; Lucy (who married Nathaniel Burwell),
and several others who died \'oung. 3, Edward, of "Blenheim," the
second son of "Secretary" John Carter, married Sarah Champe, and
had issue : John (who married .\phia Fauntleroy), Eliza (who married
William Stanard, of "Roxbury," Spottsylvania, and had issue), Jane
(married Major Bradford, of the British army), Sarah (married, first,
George Carter, and next r)r. Cutting), Charles (of Culpeper, who
married Betty Lewis). William Champe (who married Maria Parley),
Edward (of " Blenheim," who married successively Mary Lewis, Lucy
Wood, and ), George and Whitaker, who died without is-ue ; Hill
(of "Mine Hill," Amher.->i. who married Coles, of Albemarle),
Mar)- Cliainpe (who liiarried Judge E. T. Brooke), Nancy (niarried
Gov. M. Troup, of Georgia),
ii, Robert, of " Nominy Hall," Westmoreland, the second son of " King
Carter" to have issue, died about 1732; he was married about 1725
to Priscilla Bladen, and had issue: Eliza, and Robert, " the Councillor,"
who married Frances Anne Tasker, and had George, of " Oatlands,"
and many others. Of "Councillor" Carter, Bishop Meade re-
Ufe was spent in the tranquility of domestic enjoyments. From the mansion of hospitalitj' his invmensc
wealth ilowed Uke silent strcims, cnUvenii;>; and refreshing every object around. In fuIfiUiiig the duties of
hit station, he (iroved himself to be an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile."
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360 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' '
marks: ' " In Councillor Carter of Nomini, the grandbon of King Carter,
this peculiarity [eccentricity] was found in a large measure. Early in
life his disposition was marked by a tendency to wit and humor. After-
ward he was the grave Councillor and always the generous philanthro-
pist. At a later day he became scrupulous as to the holding of slaves,
and manumitted great numbers. The subject of religion then engrossed
his thoughts. Abandoning the religion of his fathers, he adoiAed the
creed of the Baptists and patronized their young preachers, having a
chapel in his own house at Nomini. After a time he embraced the
theory of Swedenborg, and at length died an unhappy, death-dreading
Papist. All the while he was a most benevolent and amiable man."
iii, Charles, of " Cleves" (1707-1764), was the third son of "' King Car-
ter " to leave issue; he was married three times; first, in 172S, to
Mary Walker; then, in^i742, to Anne Byrd, and lastly, in 1764 (?),
. to Lucy Taliaferro ; his children were: Charles (of ''Ludlowc," who
died in 1796; married Elizabeth Chiswell, and had issue), Eliza (who
married William Churchill and had issue), Judith (who married William
Burnet Browne, and had issue), Mary Walker (who married Charles
Carter, of •' Shirley," her first cousin, as stated). By his second wife
he had : Anne (who married John Champa, and then Lewis Willis, of
Fredericksburg), ALaria (who married William Armistead, of'-' Her-se,"
Gloucester), John (married Claiborne), Lucy, who lei't no issue;
Landon (of " Cleves," 1751-1811, who married, first, Mrs. Mildred
Willis, and next his cousin, Mrs. Eliza (Carter) Thornton, of '* Sabine
Hall," and had issue, of whom later), Jane (who married Gawin Corbin,
no issue), Sarah (married William Thompson and had issue). By his third
wife Charles Carter (of '* Cleves") had: Anne Walker, who married John
Catleit. Of these children one son. Landon, maybe further traced.
The Carter family record states that he niarried ^.Irs. Mildred Wiiiis
and Mrs. Eliza (Carter) Thornton. But he may have had a third wife ;
for Philip Ludwell Lee, writing to his brother, William, under date of
the 31st of May, 1769, said: " Landon Carter son of old Charles is to be
married in a little while to Miss Molly Fauntleroy of Xaylor's Hole."
If this statement applies to this Landon, then "Molly Fauntleroy"
must have been his first wife. His children were: Mildred Anne }>}rd
(who married Robert Mercer, and had issue, and next, John Lewis,
and had issue) ; Lucy (who married Gen. John Minor, of Fredericks-
burg, and had, among others, Mary, who married the Hon. William
' Ou! Churches, Families, etc., II, ill.
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 361
Blackford; Dr. Lewis W., U. S. X.; Lucius, who married Catharine
Berkeley, and had, among others, Charles, who married Frances Caze-
nove; Launcelot, a missionary in Africa, and Dr. James Minor, U. S. N.).
By his second wife. Mrs. Eliza (Carter) Thornton, Landon Carter had :
Robert Charles, St. Leger Landon (who married Eliza, daughter of
Thomas Ludwell and Fanny (Carter) Lee, no issue), Eliza Thornton
(who married Vv'illiam MacFarland), and also other children.
iv, Landon, of "Sabine Flail." Richmond county, was the youngest son
of " King Carter " to leave issue ; he was married three times ; to Eliza-
beth Wormeley, to JvLaria Byrd'.l'ahd, lastly,' to a Miss Beale ; his
children were: Robert W. (who married and had issue, among them
Fanny, who married Thomas Ludwell Lee, of " Coton," Loudoun;
see 30), Eliza (married Nelson Berkeley of " Airwell "). Landon (of
Pittsylvania, who married Judiih Fauntleroy), John (of " Sudley,"
married Janet Hamilton). By his second wife he had Maria, who mar-
ried Robert Beverley, of " Wakefield," Culpeper county, whose daugh-
ter, Evelyn Byrd, married George Lee, of Loudoun (see 31). By his
third wife he had: Lucy, who married William Colston, and Judiih,
who married Reuben Beale.
Having thus briefly sketched the children of " King Carter," a few
words about the common progenitor of so many distinguished persons may
be of interest. Robert Carter was generally known as " King Carter," some
said from his great posse.ssions, others on account of his handsome appear-
ance. Of his official life his tombstone gives a fair account. It stated:
Here lies biiried Robert Carter, Esq., an honourable man, who by noble endowments
and pure morals gave luitrc to his gentle birth. Rector of William and Mary, he sustained
that institution in its most tr}-ing times. He was Speaker of the House of Burgesses, and
Tre.''.>urer under ihe most serene Princes William, Anne, George I. and H, Elected by the
House its Speaker six years, and Governor of the Colony for more than a year, he upheld
equally the regal dignity and the public freedom. Possessed of ample wealth, blamelessly
acquired, he built and endowed, at hi> own ex];ense, this sacred edifice — a .signal monu-
ment of his piety toward God. He furnished it richly. Entertaining his friends kindly, he
was neither a prodigal nor a par.simonious host. His first wife was Juditli, daughter of
John Armistead. Esq. ; his second Betty, a descendi^nt of the noble family of Landons. By
these wives he had many children, on whose education he expended large sums of money.
At length, full of honours and cf years, when he had performed all the duties of an ex-
emplary life, he departed from this world on the 4th day of August, in the 69th year of his
age. The unhappy lament their lost comforter, the widows their lost protector, and the
orphans their lost father.
This tombstone, together with those of his two wives, was p.laced at
the east end of old Christ Church. They were very large, handsome, and
th: >1
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362 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
elaborately carved. All are now destroyed, and the ground around is strewn
with their fragments. Bishop Meade saw that of the husband, and wrote
in his report on that church in 1S3S: "Among the latter [tombs], at the
east end of the house, within a neat inclosure, recently put up, are to be
seen the tombs of .Robert Carter, the builder of the house, and of his two
wives. These are probably the largest and richest and heaviest tombstones
in our land." Bishop Meade adds: " Tradition has it that the congrega-
tion, which doubtless consisted chieflv of his dependents, did not enter the
church on Sunday until the arrival of his coach, when all t'ollowed him and
his family into it." He rebuilt and enlarged the church ; the walls are
very thick, at least three feet, and are yet sound. It has the old-style,
square, high-back pews, two of which, those nearest the chancel, are at least
fifteen feet square.
' Judge Charles Lee.
36. Charles \ the second son of Henry Lee* (Henry \ Richard*, Rich-
ard^) and Luc_\- Grymes, his wife, was born in 175S, and died the 24th of
June, I Si 5, at his home, near Warren ton. Fauquier county. He entered
Princeton College in 1770 ; the earliest record of him is from Dr. Shippen's
letter, saying : •' Charles is in the grammar school; but Dr. Witherspoon
expects much from his application and genius." He graduated, taking the
degree of B. A. in 1775, and M. A. in 1778; in 1777 he was naval officer
of " South Potomac,'" as attested by his signature to clearance papers; he
seems to have held this ottice until it was abolished in 17S9. L'nder date
of 2d of August, 17S9, President Washington wrote to Richard Henry Lee :
'' Mr. Charles Lee will certainly be brought forward as collector of the port
of Alexandria." (^Li/e of R. H. Lee, II, 36.) His father addressed letters
to him, in 1779, as a -'student of Law in Philadelphia," where it is
said he studied under Jarcd Iiigersoll. These dates seem rather conflicting,
unless he held office in Virginia at the same time he studied law in Phila-
delphia.
President Washington appointed Charles Lee to succeed 'William
Bradford as .Vttorney-General. on the roth of December, 1795, which office
he held through the administration of John Adams, and until the inaugura-
tion, in iSoi, of Thomas Jefferson. "Washington was an unusually good
judge of men, and President Adams confirmed his clioice, not onlv by con-
tinuing Mr. Lee as Att'y Gen'l through his administration, but on the iSth
Feb'y, iSoi, sent his name to the U. S. Senate as one of the 16 new Cir-
cuit Judges, recjuired by the reduction of the U. S. Suj.ireme Court to 5
Judges in iSoi. These new Judges were confirmed 3rd of March, rSoi,
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 363
just before midnight, hence they were called the Midnight Judges. The
;k I of Congress creating them was repealed the 8th April, 1S02, without
irn])Uting any fault on the part of tlie Judges. It is said that President
Adams offered Mr. l.ee the appointnieni of Chief Justice to succeed Oliver
Ell.->vorth, but it was -declined. Judge Lee retired to his home, and prac-
ticed law in the Courts of Virginia, and at Washington, until his death."
(Hayden, Va. Gcf::a!o_^ies, 541.) After his retirement from office, he was
engaged as counsel in many important causes in the Supreme Court of the
Unit-'d States, s'ich as the famous ca.se of Marbury vs. Madison, Ex parti
Bollrnan and Swartwout, and others. His arguments, as preserved in the
Leports of the Supreme Court, evince very high legal ability and attain-
ments. Charles l.ee was also one of the lawyers for the defense of .A.aron
Burr in the famous trial for treason.
Richard Henrv L.ee appointed Charles one of his executors, to which
appointment he alludes in the following letter to W. A. Washington :
•' Alexandiia, 24th June, 1794. Dear Sir, When I left Chantilly, it
u'as without hope of ever again seeing the best of men, and I have felt some
consolation in learning by your letter that his last moments were free of
pain.
"The steps you propose to take concerning the will meet my approba-
tioji, for in all matters, delay is apt to produce embarrassment. My desire
to render every service to the members of the family will induce me to give
every assistance that shall go to that object. If it sliould be necessary for
me to qualify as executor, I can do it at any time hereafter, but I shall join
you and Mr. Coibin Washington in the guardianship of the children. I
wish you to proceed in all things concerning the estate, as you and the
other gentlemen shall tliink right without waiting for my presence; it being
uncertain vvoen it will be in my power to go to Westmoreland. By this I
mean to express that the examination and arrangement of the papers need
not be deferred for me.
"The President is at Mount Vernon and will be tliere a few days; he
enjoys good liealth. I am," &c., &c.
To Wm. Ludweli Lee, Greenspring, near Williamsburg, Va. Dated.
" Philadelphia, 4th April, 1797. Dear Sir, On the 5th of last month I
v/rote you acknowledging the receipt of your favor of the 6ch of February;
since which I have received two other letters on the same subject. . . .
'' After Bonaparte's comp^lete victory Mantua has surrendered — so that
in a few days the I.mperor has been deprived of 50,000 men. What effect
this v.-ill have on France in its conduct to Ameriai is uncertain. I wish it
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364 LEE OK VIRGINIA.
may not encourage that republic lo continue its present hostile system toward
us. Mr. Pinckney has quitted the republic in obedience to the orders of
the Directory and has gone to Amsterdam, there to await the further orders
of his country. Should France and America come to a rupture, miserable
will be my native country in consequence of the blacks now held in bond-
age. An obvious expedient will be to excite and maintain an insurrection ;
but whatever disasters shall come from France, I am persuaded they will be
properly chargeable to the politicks of Virginia, which for four years have
tended to make France believe we were a nation devoted to its will and not
independent enough to manage our own affairs, but in conformity to its
mandates. This is the matter now to be put to trial and when France dis-
covers how they have been deceived, by those among us who pretended to
be its friends, will occasion much wrath in that republic. The prospect
before the United States is very unpleasing but may be made bright by
union in the national counsels and by that alone."
• Charles Lee was twice married; first, " by the Rev. Mr. Wilson, at
' Chantilly,' Westmoreland Co., Va., on the nth of February, 17S9," to
Anne, daugliter of Richard Henry and Anne (Gaskins-Pinckard) Lee, of
whose portrait a print is given; she was born the ist of December, 1770;
died on Sunday the 9th of September, 1S04, ''after a tedious illness, of
the consumptive kind, which was sustained with fortitude and patience
upwards of four years ; until without a groan she passed into the presence
of her God in the full and bright hope of heavenly felicity through the
merits of our blessed Redeemer." (Family Bible of Charles Lee.) She was
buried at Shooter's Hill, the residence of her brother, Ludwell Lee (Rev.
Joseph Packard, D. D.); the following epitaph for her tombstone was
written by her brother, Francis Lightfoot Lee :
Here are deposited the remains of Anne Lee, daughter of Richard Ilenr} Lee, and
wife of Charles Lee. She died the oth .September, 1S04, aged 23 years.
This stone is not erected in memory of her piety and virtue, for they are registered in
he.avca ; nor of the qualities by which she was adorned, distinguished or endeared, for of
these, they who knew her have a more lasting memorial in their sorrow for her death. But
it is to remind the reader that neither youth nor beauty nor any excellence of heart or mind
can rescue from the grave, for the entombed possessed them all.
Charles Lee had issue by both marriages ; ' by his first wife, Anne Lee,
he had si.x children :
i, Anne Lucind.a*, born at " Chantilly," Westmoreland, 5th of May,
1790, and died r5th of May, 1S35 ; married, 17th of May, 180S, Gen-
' HayJcn, Mj. Cfttaljgies, pp. 54£-a-3.
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. ^^S
eral Walter Jones, a distinguished lawyer, and had fourteen children
(for whom see Jones Family).
ii, a son, born the 9th of November, 1791, and died of small-pox
the ist of January, 1792.
iii, Richard Henry®, born at Alexandria, the 5th of February, 1793;
died March, 1793-
iv, Charles Henry*, born at Alexandria, the 25th of October, 1794;
"baptized by the Rev. Mr. Parsons in my absence and the nume
of Henry has since been added " (Family Bible).
V, William Arthur^, born at Alexandria, the i5tli of September, 1796.
\i, Alfred*, born at Alexandria, the 2d of July, 1799 .; died unmarried
in 1S65 ; lived in Fairfax county.
Charles Lee married, secondly, on the 19th of July, 1S09, Mrs.
Margaret C. (Scott) Peyton, the widow of Yelverton Peyton, and
daughter of the Rev. John and Elizabeth (Gordon) Scott; she v/as
born the 20th of January, 1783, and died the nth of October, 1843.
By this marriage, Mr. Lee had issue:
vii, Robert Eden*^. See 51.
viii, Eliz.abeth Gordon*, born at Alexandria, the 17th of May, 1S13,
and resides now near Warrenton ; she married, on the 25th of No-^'em-
ber, 1S35, the Rev. Abraham David Pollock, D. D., a distinguished
Presbyterian divine; he was born the 22d of January, 1807, and died
the 3d of May, 1S90; their children were: i, Thomas Gordon, Cap-
tain C. S. A., who was born in 1S3S, and was killed in Pickett's
charge at Gettysburg, the 3d of July, 1863 ; he had taken B. L. at
the L^niversity of Va., in 1S59. 2, Margaret Scott, who ninrried
Dr. E. P. Moore. 3, Anne Lee, who married Charles P. Jaiiuey,
a lawyer of Leesburg, and has several children. 4, Rachel Eliza-
beth. 5, Susan Roberta, w'ho married Matthew Gilmour. 6, Charles
Lee, who died in April, 18SS.
ix, Alexander*, "born at my stone house in Faunuier, near WaiTen-
ton, the iSth of April, 1815 " (Family Bible). Died in infancy.
THE JONES FAMILY.
Arms : Sable, a fess or, between three children's heads proper (for Jones), quartered
with, Azure and gules, party per pale, a chevron engrailed or, between three lions
rampant, argent (for Hopkins).
Crest : on a helmet, a child's head proper.
Captain Roger Jones, the progenitor of this family, was born about
1625-35, ''•"d ^^^-^ ^^ ^^^ home in Stepney, then a suburb of London, in
2df.
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366 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
January, i 701-2. He married twice, but apparently had issue only by his
first wife, Dorothy, daughter of John Walker, Esq., of Mansfield, county
Nottingham. He came to Virginia with Lord Culpeper in 16S0 and
made settlements, but returned to England and died there. He left at least
two sons, Frederick, who married and left issue, and Colonel Thomas, who
married on the 14th of February, 1725, Elizabeth, the widow of William
Pratt and daughter of Dr. William Cocke and Elizabeth Catesby, his wife.
He died about 1758 in Hanover county, and left issue: Thomas, Dorothea,
Catesby, Frederick, William, Jekyll, Lucy, Anne, Dr. Walter, and Eliza-
beth. Of these children only three, Thomas, Catesby, and Dr. Walter,
need be considered here.
Thomas, the eldest son, born the 25th of December, 1726, and died
in Hanover county about 17S5-6; married Sally, a daughter of James Skel-
ton and Jane, his wife, who was a daughter of Francis and Mary (I5athurst)
Meriwether. Thomas Jones was for a long time Clerk of Northumberland
county, until he moved to Hanover in 1781. He left nine children :
i, Major Thomas ap Thomas, who served in the Revolutionary Army;
was twice married ; by his second wife, Frances, daughter cf " Coun-
cillor " Robert Carter, of " Nominy Hall," Westmoreland county, he
had an only son, who moved to Kentucky about 18 10, and has de-
scendants in that State.
ii, Jekyll, was a political writer of some note; never married.
iii, B.\THURST, no issue.
iv, Meriwether, born about 1766 ; married Lucy Franklin Reed, and
. ■ his only son, Walter, married a Miss Taylor, of Norfolk, and left
issue.
V, Skelton, was a lawyer of Richmond, and succeeded his brother Meri-
wether, as editor of the Richmond Examiner.
vi, Elizabeth, married, in 1776, Gawin Corbin, of "Yew Spring," Car-
oline county, the son of John Corbin, of " Portobago," Essex, and
had issue: Elizabeth, Lastitia, Gawin, Lancelot, Sally, and George
Corbin. (See Corbin Family, under 2.)
vii, Mary Bathurst, who married Lancelot Lee, and had issue (See 26).
viii, Sally, who married Capt. Nathaniel Anderson.
i.\, Jaxe, who married John Monroe, of " Cone Place," Westmoreland,
and had issue : Sally Skelton, and Dr. Thomas Jekyll Catesby, U. S. A..
who died in 1S40.
Catesby, who married, about 1778, Lettice Corbin, daughter of John
Turberville, of " Hickory 'Hill," Westmoreland, and had these seven
■ ;• ') "
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. "jiSj
children:^ i, Roger, Major-General, U. S. A., who married, about iSi6,
Mary Anne, daucrhter of William Byrd and Anne (Lee) Page, of ''Fair-
field," Clarke county, and had these thirteen children: William Page,
Catesby ap Roger, of U. S. and C. S. Navies, Lcetitia Corbin, Mary Anne,
Dr. Eusebius T.ee, Meriwether, Edmonia Page, Roger, Inspector-General,
V. S. A., Walter, Charles Lucian, C. S. N., Capt. Thomas Skelton,
U. S. N. and C. S. A., Virginia Boyd, and Winfield Scott Jones.
2, Thomas ap Catesby, Commodore, V. S. X., who married Mary Walker,
daughter of Charles B. Carter, of " Richmond Hill," Richmond county,
and had these four children : Meriwether Patterson, Mary Lee, Mark
Catesby, and Martha Corbin Jones. 3, Philip de Catesby, horn about
1792; married Ann Williams, of Winchester, and died about 1S73, leav-
ing issue: John W., Lewin T., and Elizabeth Jones. 4, Eusebius, who
died young. 5, Elizabeth Lee, died unmarried. 6, Martha Corbin, who
married William Gordon, of Westmoreland, and had issue: William W.,
Caroline Virginia, and John T. Gordon. 7, Sarah Skelton, born 5Lh of
October, 17S1 ; married on 9th of March, 1801, Henry Waring Ball, being
his first wife, and had issue : Catesby ap Henry, Lettice Corbin, and
Henry Waring Ball.
Dr. Walter Jones, the ninth child of Col. Thomas Jones and Elizabeth
Cocke, his wife, was born in Virginia, the i6th of December, 1745; was
educated at ^^'illiam and Mary College, and at Edinburgh ; returned to
Virginia about 1770, settled in Northumberland, and attained reputation as
a scholar and physician; during the Revolr.tion, he was "physician-
general" for the hospitals of the middle department; he was member of
Congress in 1797-99, and 1S03-11; he died in Westmoreland on the ist
of December, 1815, leaving eight children: Walter, William, Thomas,
Frederick, Lucius, Anne, Elizabeth, and Maria Jones. Of these only one.
General Walter, need be noticed here. He was born the 7th of October,
1776, and died at Washington, the 14th of October, 1S61 : studied law
with Judge Bushrod Washington, and settled at Washington, where he won
a national reputation as a lawyer of the greatest ability ; he married, in
180S, Anne Lncinda, eldest daughter of the Hon. Judge Charles and Anne
(Lee) Lee, as stated, and had fourteen children :
i, ViRc.iNiA Collins, born in 1S09, died the 5th of June, 1S92 ; married,
on the 30th of July, 1S33, Dr. Thomas Miller, an eminent physi-
cian of Washington, and had issue: Walter Jones, Thomas, Anne
' Se« Turbcrville Family under 3.
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Lee, Anna Thornton (who married Stirling Murray, of Md.), Vir-
ginia, Sarah Cornelia (who married Arthur Fendall, of Washington,
and has two children), Thomas Jesup, and Dr. George Richards Miller.
Of these children, three daughters are living.
ii, Walter, born in iSii, and died in 1S29, while at the University of
Virginia.
iii, Nannette Lee, born in 1812; married, on the iSth of April, 1833,
Dr. Robert Eden Peyton, of Fauquier county, a son of Dr. Chandler
Peyton; he was born the 9th of February, 1804, and died the 15th
of July, 1S72, leaving issue: Robert Eden (7th Va. Cavalry, who
married Cornelia Foster, of Fauquier, and has six children), Anne Lee,
Eliza Gordon Scott, and Virginia Peyton.
iv, RosiNA, born i6th May, 1S14; died the 19th of July, 1891 ; married,
on the 23d of January, 1S3S, the Rev. Joseph Packard, D. D., of the
Theological Seminary of Virginia, and had issue (for whom see
Packard Family).
V, Elizabeth Mary, who married, in 1840, Henry T. Harrison, of Lees-
burg, being his second wife (see 34, i), and had issue: i, Anne Har-
riotte, who died aged 18 years. 2, Elizabeth Lee, who married George
M. Grayson, of Loudoun, and died childless 2d December, 1S75. 3,
Walter Jones, who was twice married ; first, to Anne, daughter of Dr.
William Powell, by whom he had a son, Henry T. ; he married, secondly,
Anne, daughter of Professor Benedict, and had : Rebecca, and Maria
Washington Benedict Harrison. 4, Henry, a lawyer of Leesburg, who
married, in January, 18S5, Anne, daughter of Major John Fitzgerald
Lee (see 46, iv). 5, Maria Washington. 6, Alice Janney. 7, Bushrod
Washington, died young. 8, Edward Burr. 9, Mary Jones, who mar-
ried Frank Conrad, a lawyer of Leesburg, and has several children.
vi, Charles Lee, born 1816 ; died 8th March, 18S9, unmarried.
vii, Alice, died in early childhood.
viii, Catharine Ella, who died the 24th of Xovember, 1863, at Shanghai,
China, while engaged in active missionary work.
ix, Anne Harriotte, v,ho married, in 1S51, Matthew Harrison, a
prominent lawyer of Leesburg, ^L A., and B. L., of the L^niversity
of Va., a member of the Va. Legislature ; Mrs. Harrison died the
3d of April, 1894. They had issue: i, Sarah Powell, who married
Dr. William R. Winchester, formerly of Maryland, now of Macon.
Ga., and has several children. 2, Thomas Walter, Circuit Judge of Va.,
who married Julia Knight, of Maryland, and has several children. 3,
Burr William, died young. 4, Ann Harriotte Harrison.
.'. .7
iT f.'J'jC b'Hb yi
:' :-;■! .-^.-,,17.
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 369
X, Frances Lee, who is living at Washington, unmarried.
xi, Sarah Cornelia, who resides in Virginia, is unmarried.
xii, ViOLETTA Lansdale, who died the cSth of August, 1875, unmarried.
xiii, Lucy, died in early childhood.
xiv, Thomas William, who was drowned in 1S53, while serving on the
Mexican Boundary Commission ; never married.
THE PACKARD FA:\LILY.
The Rev. Joseph Packard, D. D., born on the 23d of December, 1S12,
the beloved and venerable Dean of the Theological Seminary of Virginia,
son of the Rev. Hezekiah Packard, D. D., of Wiscasset, Me., is descended
from Sam.uel, of New Hingham, INIass., 163S, thus: Joseph ^ Hezekiah S
Jacob*, Solomon ^ Zaccheiis", SamueP, 163S-16S4, He graduated A. B.,
at Bowdoin College, in 1831 ; A. ^L, in 1S34; Kenyon College conferred
upon him the honorary degree of D. D. in 1847; he was a professor in
Bristol College, Pa., in 1S34-36 ; and has been professor of Sacred Litera-
ture, etc., in the Virginia Seminary since 1S36; was ordained Deacon by
Bishop Griswold on the 17th of July, 1S36; Priest by Bishop Tvleade on the
29th of September, 1S37; was a member of the American Bible Revision
committee, in 1S72-1SS5 ; a collaborator of Robinson's Lexicon of the
Greek of the New Testament.' Dr. Packard has had the following children:
i, Anne L. Lee, who was born on the 27th of December, 183S, and died
unmarried, on i8th of May, 1S73.
ii, Walter Jones, born the loth of July, 1S40 ; died the 13th of August,
1862; was a Lieutenant of Infantry in the Va. provisional army, and
a private in the famous Rockbridge Artillery, C. S. A.
iii, Joseph, bom the lotk. of Aj-ril, 1S42 ; v,as graduated A. B., Kenyon
College, i860, and A. ^L in 1S67 ; served as a private in the Rock-
bridge Artillery, C. S. A. ; afterward Lieutenant of Artillery for
ordnance duty; is now practicing law at Baltimore ; to whom many
thanks are due for efficient assistance in preparing this volume. Mr.
Packard has been twice married; first, on the 13th of April, 1S6S, to
Laura, daughter of William Bennett, of Georgia, who died on the 2Sth
of September, 1S76, leaving two children; he married, secondly,
on the 27th of December, 1882, INleta >L, daughter of F. W. Hane-
winckel, of Richmond ; he has these children : Laura Lee, Elise Prio-
leau, Margaret, Emilie, Josephine, and Charles Lee.
I
24
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370 l.EE OF VIRGINIA.
iv, William, born tlie 9th of December, 1843, and died while a prisoner
of war at Point f.ookout. on the iilhof November, 1S63; he served
in the 7th Va. Cavalry, C. S. A.
V, Rosa Jones, born the 1st of September, 1S45 '■> died the 28th of
August, 1S92 ; married, on the 31st of August, 1S69, the Rev. William
H. Laird, and left a large family.
vi, i\tARV, who died in 1850.
vii, Charles Lee, who died in 1850.
viii, Cornelia, who was born the 28th of September, 1851, and resides
with her father at tiiC Theological Seminary.
ix, I\L'\Rv, born the loth of April, 1S53, and is now engaged in teaching
in connection vrith the Episcopal Mission in Brazil.
X, Thomas Jones, born the 2 2d of August, 1S54; was educated at the
■ , Episcopal High School, the University of Va., and the Episcopal
;,; Theological Seminary, where he was graduated and ordained Deacon
: in June 1S80; the next June, he was advanced to the Priesthood;
has been rector of Christ Church, Mt. Laurel, Va., of St. Thomas
' Parish, Prince Ccorge's count}-, and of Christ Church, West River,
■■ Md. He was mairied, on the 3d of June, 1SS5, to i\Iattie, daughter o^
John W. Cuningbarn, of Person county, N. C, and has several children.
xi, Catharine, born 1S56, and died in 1S62.
Richard I! land Lee.
37. Richard Bland % the third son of Henry Lee* (Henry ^ Richard ',
Richard') and Lucy Grymes, his wife, was born at " Leesylvania," Prince
William county, on the 20th of January, 1761, and died on the 12th of
March, 1S27. He ^.■as married on the 19th of June, 1794, to Elizabeth,
daugliter of Stci'lien and ?>Lary (Parish) Collins, of Philadelphia; she died
on the 24ili of June, 1S5.S, in her 91st year. Mr. John Adams has made
this mention of Stcplicn Collins in his ' • Diary : " ^ "' We dined at Friend Col-
lins's, St'.'ii'nen Colii-.:.., v.al. Clovv-rnur IToi-kins, Governor ^^'ard, Mr. Gal-
loway, Mr. Rhoades, &c. . . . This gentleman is of fine figure and emi-
nence, as well as fortune, in this i>lace. He is of the profession of the
Friends, but not stiff nor rigid. He is a native of Lynn, in New England,
a brother of E/ra Collins in Boston. I have been treated by him in this
city, both in the former Congress and the present, with unbounded civilitv
and friendship. His house is open to every New England man. I never
knew a n\ore agreeable instance of hospitality."
lX/>> ar.J n'^-rks of John A.fun:,, U, 361.
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 371
Richard Bland Lee served in the Virginia Assembly as early as 1784,
and probalily many other years ; he was also member of Congress in 1789
to 1795 and 1S25-27. The following letter from him to '' Roger Weight-
man, Esi]., Mayor of Washington," tells something of Lafayette's visit.
Writing from Baltimore, under date of the Sth of October, 1S24, he said :
"I was presented to Gen. Lafayette to-day and delivered the message
of the committee, together with a copy of your proposed address. He
received with great politeness and cordiality my communication, and in-
formed me that he had sent by Mr. Secretary Adams his reply to the invita-
tion of the city which had been delivered to him at Boston- — in which I
understood him to say that he had noted that he would be on Monday even-
ing at the house of a friend near Bladensburg, whom I understood to be
Mr. Calvert. On Monday evening and Tuesday morning he v/ould be
ready to conform to any arrangements which might be communicated to
him at that time. I collected from him that Virginia would send a steam-
boat to conduct him from Alexandria or Mount Vernon to Yorktown, and
his probable stay in Washington would be three or four days.
" I have in vain endeavored to find Mr. French. I have visited every
principal tavern and can hear nothing of him. I presume he is doing his
duty.
"The Philadelphians have acknowledged that the military exhibition
yesterday and the illumination last night surpassed theirs. I did not see the
first, but the last exceeded anything which I had ever seen. The devices
and transparencies were most apf)ropriate and elegant. The illumination
seemed to throw in a shade t!ie brightness of the moon. Ingenuity seems to
have been exhausted in emblems and gratitude in respect to Washington,
Lranklin, Lafayette, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Jay, and Mon-
roe— nor were De Kail), Steuben, and Rochambeau torgotten. I shall return
to-morrow. This city is filled with deputations from Alexandria and various
parts of Virginia and 2^Iar\ land."
Richard Bland ^ and Elizabeth (Collins) Lee had the following named
children :
i, Mary Ann *, born on the nth of May, 1795; died on the 21st of
June, 1796.
ii, Richard Bland ^ See 52.
iii, Ann ^L\TILDA^ born the 13th of July, 1799 ; died the 20th of De-
cember, iSSo; married. Dr. Bailey Washington, Surgeon U. S. X.,
eldest son of Bailev Vv'ashinu'ton, of '> AVindsor Forest," Stafford
37*
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TH EG DORIC LEE.
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. " 373
her father, was the son of Jacob Hite and grandson of Baron Jost ITitc, of
Germany, who came to this country during the Revolutionary v/ar, and
settled on a large tract of land in Pennsylvania; his £on Jacob nioved
to Berkeley county, Va., and purchased 3,000 acres of C.eneral Charles
Lee; later he sold this property and removed to South Carolina, where
subsequently some of the lamily were massacred by the Indians. . . ''.
The first wife of Jacob Hite^ was a sister of President Madison's father."
Theodoric Lee had one son and three daughters : '
i, Caroline HiTE*, married Samuel Purviance Walker, of Baltimore.
Mr. Walker was of Iri^h birth, was educated abroad, came to America
with his cousins, John, Robert, and Samuel Purviarice; locaied at
Baltimore, where he became a successful merchant. He moved to
Washington about 1S39-30, and resided there until his death; lie h.ad
these thirteen children : William McCreery, Samuel Purviance, Sarah
Catharine, Frances Caroline, Juliana Gales, Jane Josephine, [ohn
Hite, Rosa Lee, Theodoric Lee, Isabella, Elizabeth Agg, Lciitia
McCreery, Emily Montoya. Of tiiese children only one survive;,
Juliana Gales, to whose kindness these notes are due. Of the sons,
William McCreery was a lieutenant in the U. S. Navy, and v.as with
the Wilkes exploring expedition, in his Antarctic crui;?e. Mrs. ^Vc:.lker
lived till her 86th year in full possession of her faculties.
ii, John HITE^ See 54.
iii, Sarah Juliana Maria*, " beautiful, intellectual, and accomplislicd,
noted for deeds of charity; she was for many years at the head of the
■• most elegant society of the national capital ;" she v/as also noted for
her great administrative ability. She married, in 1813, Joseph Gales,
Jr., the editor o[ the Xatioital InieJIii^cnccr, of Wasliington, which
was a journal of great in.^uence in its day. Mr. Gales was for
several terms the mayor of Washington, and had been acquainted,
during his long residence at the capital, with all tlie Presidcjus from
Madison to Buchanan; he died, honored and beloved, in July,
' - i860 ; was buried in the Congressional Cemetery, where a noble mon-
ument, erected by the leading journalists of the country, rises to uiark
his grave. Mr. and Mrs. Gales had no issue, but ado['ted tlieir
niece, Juliana Gales Walker, who now survives and resides ac Wa^^h-
ington, known by her adopted name, Gales.
iv, Catharine HirE*, "was like her sisters distinguished for beauty,
1 Major Isaac Hite, who niarrirJ Ele.inor, sister of I'ro.-^iJent Madison, was of .i younger generation.
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374 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
benevolence, and intellect." She married Dr. George May, a gradu-
ate of Harvard, and a Bostonian by birth ; he was for years one of the
leading physicians of Washington city; they had two daughters:
Sophia Catharine, who died on the 5th of July, 189.^, unmarried, and
Juliana Gale.s May, who resides at Washington, and is unmarried.
Edmund Jennings Lee. (
39. Edmund Jennings ^ the fifth son of Henry Lee*. (Henry ^ Richard ^
Richard ') and Lucy Grymes, his wife, was born at " Leesylvania," Prince
William county, on the 20th of May, 1772 ; died at his home in Alexandria,
on the 30th of May, 1S43; ^^ married, about 1796, Sarah, the youngest
daughter of Richard Henry Lee, of " Chantilly," by his second wife, -Mr^-
Anne (Gaskins) Pinckard. She was born at "Chantilly," on the 27th of
November, 1775 ; died at Alexandria, on the Sch of May, 1S37.
Of Edmund L Lee, his son, Charles H. Lee, has written : ^
"In the great undertaking, so successfully and wonderfully accom-
plished, of the restoration oi the Episcopal Church in Virginia, attention is
usually concentrated upon those who, as clergymen, wrought this great
result. It has not, perhaps, been definitely recognized that there was a lay
nucleus, from which many of these clerical workers were drawn, which
sustained and aided their undertaking. One who will run over an old
journal will find certain names of prominent laymen, from year to year,
present and taking part in all the important measures under discussion.
Prominent among these names, as a member of Diocesan and General Con-
vention, trustee of Education Society, vestryman and delegate of Christ
Church, and member of Standing Committee, was that of Edmund I. Lee,
of Alexandria. His work for the diocese and the congregation, with which
he was connected, was one of a peculiarly interesting character.
"Edmund Jennings Lee died in Alexandria in 1S43 in the 72d year
of his age. Early in life he became a member of the Episcopal Cluuch,
with which until his death he was identified in everything that concerned
its welfare. He lived to see all of his children, who attained the age of
maturity, niembers of the Church he loved so well, and one of them among
her clergy. Deeply interested in the cause of religion in general, as in that
of his own Church, he exhibited this interest in efforts for her benefit and
welfare.
"As the first illustration of such effort may be mentioned his under-
taking, successfully carried out, to resist and deteat the execution of the
' 'Die i'irtrinia S'Hiuniiry Af.t^a::i/:i, July, iS3S.
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STR.\TFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 375
confiscation act in regard to church property. Before the Revokition of
1776, the Episcopal Church was established in Virginia. Each parish, under
English law, held and owned a Glebe, that is land allotted as the ' dowry
of the church;' or, in plainer language, property held for the support of the
Rector and for paiish lises. By an act of the Virginia Legislature, this v>as
confiscated, and donated to the several counties for the use of their poor.
This act was passed in January, iSc2. It was stoutly resisted in some of
the parishes, and among others, in Fairfax Parish, Alexandria county, of
which the present old Christ Church was the Parish Church. The Courts
of Virginia sustained this confiscation act ; and thus all the Glebe lands
succumbed to this process of political piracy, except those in Fairfax Parish.
This property was saved by the perseverance and legal ability of Mr. Lee,
and in this wise: The county of Alexandria was in iSoi made a part of
the District of Columbia, and was thus brought within Federal jurisdiction.
Mr. Lee had all along maintained the unconstitutionality of the confiscation
law, and wrote a very able and exhaustive review of Judge Tucker's opinion
on that subject. The Virginia act authorizing the sale of the Glebe lands
was not passed till Ale.xandria county had become a part of the District of
Columbia. The wardens and vestry of the church desired to dispose of
the Glebe lands; but were impeded by the claims of the overseers of the
poor of Fairfax county, who asserted their rights under the act of the Legis-
lature. Mr. Lee, therefore, advised a suit in the Federal Courts, to enjoin
these overseers from interference with tlie church property.
"This suit was argued for the church by Mr. Lee and Mr. Swann.
The result was a decision by the Court that the acts under which the over-
seers of the poor claimed, ' so far as they go to divest the Episcopal Church
of the property acquired, ^Scc., . . . were unconstitutional and ino[;erative. '
" But the controversy did not end here. The vestry having, after the
decision, sold the Glebe, the purchaser, becoming dissatisfied with tlie title,
brought suit in the United States Courts to rescind the sale. This was
resisted by the vendors, and the Si'.preme Court of the United States decided
that the sale by the church authorities conveyed a good title. It v.-as argued,
as was the former suit, by Mr. Lee and Mr. Swann for the church.
'* In this way Christ Church retained possession of its Glebe, which
was sold, and the proceeds applied to the erection of the present command-
ing steeple and to the purchase of the fine toned bell that for so many years
has faithfully recalled the * sweet hour of prayer ' to those who worship in
that venerable sanctuary. Nor was this all. The vestry were also able to
purchase the comfortable house on Washington Street, wliich has ever since
been occupied as a rector}', besides building a sul)slantial tcnce round the
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376 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ■'7 7
time-honored churchyard. All this was the result of Air. Lee's persevering
devotion and legal ability.
"It is hardly necessary to say that for many years Mr. Lee was warden
and vestrNurdn of old Clirist Church, from the duties and services of which
he was never absent save by compulsion. He was also long a member of
the Standing Conmiittee of tlie Diocese. He was from the first a trustee
of the Education Society, and aided in its organization. He attended all
the conventions, in which he maintained an useful and conspicuous part, his
advice being sought on all important occasions.
''To ]Mr. Lee is entirely due the existence of the present 'Bishop's fund'
in Virginia. Atone time the scarcity of money induced the Bishop and
some members of the Standing Committee to think a resort to the principal
of this fund necessary. This Mr. Lee ste.idily opposed. He was a trustee
of the fund, and could not be induced to allow the approj^riation even
of the annual interest. He insisted, in tlie face of all argument to the con-
trary, ist, that the object of the trust was the establishment of a permanent
fund, and that to use either principal or interest at that time would be a
breach of trust ; and 2d, that so long as tlie fund remained //.' statu quo, there
were reasonable hopes of additions to the principal by subscriptions, as well
as by the accumulation of interest. These views, after much controversy,
prevailed, and the Bishop's fund to-day remains a memento of the faithful-
ness, or, as Bishop Meade would pleasantly say, the ' obstinacy ' of Edmund
L Lee.
"Still another ins<;ance of this useful firmness: the Town Council of
Alexandria conceived the idea of widening and extending Cameron Street.
The church grounds to the north of the building v>-ould necessarily be taken
in by any such improvement. The Council acted under the advice of one
of the best citizens and ablest lawyers ihat Alexandria ever prod'iced, Robert
L Ta}'lor, an intimate frieiid of Mr. Lee. The latter, however, procured an
injunction against the Council, which, on argument before Judge Scott, was
finally perijctuatcd. Thus tlu •' old Kirk yard ' was happily preserved to the
satisfaction of the people of Alexandria, and doubtlessof the country generally.
Mr. Lee was for several years the Mayor of Alexandria, and took special pains
to enforce the proper observance of the Sal'bath. As in public, so in pri-
vate, he insisted on this duty. One or two illustrations of tliis u ill suffice.
He was educated principally at Princeton, and imbibed many of the ideas
of that excellent man, the Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, who was then at the head
of that institution. While at college he had formed many warm associa-
tions. Not long before his death he received a cordial invitation from a
friend in Alexandria to meet at his house at dinner two of his old Princeton
STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 377
classmates, and who, on hearing their former friend was then living in Alexan-
dria, expressed a great desire to see him. Unfortunately the day appointed was
Sunday. Very few, perhaps, would have resisted such an opportunity, and
some may now characterize Mr. Lee's course as puritanical. He wrote a
kind note to his friend, cordially thanking him for his invitation, but excus-
ing his absence on the ground that he had made it a rule never to dine
from home, except under necessity, on the Sabbath-day ; but that, if pos-
sible, he would see his friends on the following day and give them a cordial
welcome, and that if they should have left Alexandria too soon for this, he
would call on them in Washington. Mr. Lee's rigid observance of the
Sabbath may also be further illustrated by the manner in which he required
those about him to respect it. Sometimes his wagon and horses from his
farm in Loudoun would be detained till Saturday, but he invariably held
them over until Monday at an additional expense, so as to avoid their
being on tiie public road on the Sabbath-day. Mr. Lee was the brother of
Light Horse Harry of the Revolution, and, therefore, uncle of General
Robert E. Lee. Another of his brothers was Charles Lee, Attorney-Gen-
eral of the United States under John Adams. One of his sons was Rev.
William F. Lee, a graduate of the Virginia Seminary, first editor and pro-
prietor of the Southern ChurcJiman. Three of his grandsons are now labor-
ing in the ministry in the Diocese of Virginia.
" The writer would crave indulgence for the following letter from
Bishop Moore and an extract from Bishop Meade's work on the Old Churches
and Fonilics in Virginia :
"'Richmond, October 23, 1S17. Dear Sir: — The information you
have received relative to a correspondence between Mr. Jefferson and my-
self is without foundation. I cordially concur with you in your views of
church discipliiie, and am tully of the opinion that we may, with equal pro-
priety, attempt to serve God and mammon, as to reconcile an indulgence in
fashionable amusements v.ith the divine life, but the remedy, the remedy,
how is it to be applied ? In this city, much as I wish to check the evil, I
confess myself at a loss how to proceed.
" 'A tender father will use every persuasion with a disobedient child,
and will bear long with his perverseness before he will turn him out of
doors. Hi> affection for his children makes him tremble at the effects
which austerity might produce. He is afraid that an expulsion from his
society would expose his offspring to evils incalculably great. A minister
of the Gospel is enjoined to instruct with meekness those who oppose them-
selves; and it is his duty,-" knowing the terrors of the Lord \o persuade mtw.''
Although he is bound to be thus prudent, he is equally obliged to guard the
_. ' ». ■'
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It i /:t
378 LEE OF VIRGINIA. >;,'?
altar, to inspect the conduct of his members, and to see that none of them
bring a reproach upon the cross of Chri.'^t . In New York tlie relinquish-
ment of balls, the theatre and card table formed the sine qua non of ad-
mission to the communion in my church, but whether the temper of my
present flock would- submit to the same rule of conduct, God only knows.
I am apprehensive it would produce a commotion overwhelming in its effects
and desolating to our interest. Were there a few laymen in this place who
would sanction the attempt and enforce it with their influence, perhaps it
might succeed ; but in all my conversations upon the sul)ject with some truly
excellent men belonging to my church they express the greatest apprehen-
sion, and I do not know at [)resent of any ^\■ho would uphold n^e in the conflict.
I hope you will continue to reflect upon the subject. It is, indeed, of great
moment, and merits the most pious and serious consideration. I have just
returned from a long tour through the v\-estern part of the diocese, and
shall leave Richmond in a few days in order to explore the countries be-
tween York and Rap[>ahannock rivers. I could wish some plan devised
for the su[)port of two or more missionaries. 'J'he money might be raised
either by subscription or sermons in our churches. Present me very respect-
fully and affectionately to Mrs. Lee, and believe me
*' 'Your sincere friend and pastor,
'• ' Richard Channing Moore.
• " 'Edmund I. Lee, Esq,
"'P. S. — Do attend our next Convention, and let us endeavor to
ascertain how far discipline may be exercised with prudence. I could wish
you to bring the question before the Standing Committee in order to know
their opinion. ' "
Bishop Meade writes thus :
"Concerning two of the above-mentioned vestrymen, I may be per-
mitted to say a few words. Mr. George Taylor and Edmimd I. Lee were
church wardens when 1 took charge of tlie church in iSii, and so contii'i-
ued until the removal of one by change of residence and the other by death
after a long term of service. They were both members of the Standing
Committee during the same period. I think I knew them well, and knew
them to be sincere Christians and useful, ])unctual business men. . . .
Mr. Lee generally attended on State Coiu'eiilions and sumetimes the Gen-
eral Convention. He was a man of great decision and })erseverance in what
he deemed right — obstinate, some of us thought, even to a fault, when we
differed from him. There was no compromise at all in him with anything
which he thought wrong. ' He was a^i fearless as Julius Cesar. On a certain
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STR-VTFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 379
Sabbath, while I was performing service in Christ Church, a certain person
in the gallery disturbed myself and the congregation by undue vociferation
in the responses, and also at the opening of the sermon. I paused, and
requested him to desist, and was proceeding, but Mr. Lee, who was near
him, arose and asked me' to suspend the sermon. Walking toward the
offender, he told him that he must leave the house. As he approached to
enforce it, the person raised a loaded whip and struck at him. Mr. Lee,
nothing moved, took him by the arms and led him out of the house, and
deposited him in the town jail. When mayor of the town, he was a terror
to evil-doers. Ascertaining that there was much gambling going on among
the gentlemen of the place, and some of the principal ones, he took effective
measures for their discovery, brought between thirty and forty before the
court, and had them fined. The prosecuting attorney was his particular
friend, and was slightly implicated in the evil practice; but he did not
spare him.. Xor did he wish to be spared; but, coming forward and paying
his fine, then did his duty with all the rest. Mr. Lee was of course not a
popular man, nor did he seek or care to be ; but did his duty entirely
regardless of others. He kept our Conventions in good order, by always
insisting upon the observance of rules, of which the clergy are not always
mindful. He was the great advocate of our Bishop's fund, ar.d defended
it from all invasions. I not only knew Mr. Lee from my youth up, but I
saw him in his last moments, and heard him with great humility speak of
himself as a poor sinner, whose only hope was in Christ. And can I speak
of him without remembering that meek and holy woman to whom he was
so long a most affectionate husband? She was the daughter of that Chris-
tian patriot, Richard Plenry Lee. For more than thirty years she was
gradually dying of consumption, and yet in such a way as to admit of the
cxln'bition of all her Christian graces in the various relations of life. By
universal consent she was one of the purest specimens of humanity sanctified
by the grace of God." (C/</ Churches, Families, etc., H, 26S-69.)
At the opening of the V . S. Circuit Court, Alexandria county, 5th
June, 1S43, Christopher Neale, Esq., thus addressed the Court:
" I am requested by the gentlemen of the Bar of this Court to bring
to the notice of your Honors certain resolutions, which were iinaninioiisly
adopted, on Thursday last, in reference to the demise of our lamented
friend, the late Edmund L Lee.
" In performing this duty, I need scarcely remark to your Honors,
how truly we deplore the loss of one, with whom most of us have been
so long and so intimately acquainted, and who deservedly ranked so very
high in our respect and best and warmest affections.
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380 LEE Of VIRGINIA.
•'In the death of Mr. Lee, the public, as well as the profession to
which he belonged, have sustained the loss of one whose mind was most
deeply and thoroughly imbued with the abstruse principles and learning of
his profession, with varied talent, and great compass of thought.
" He was at all times the perfect gentleman, the kind neighbor, the
tender parent, social companion — and last, but not least, the steady and
unwavering Chnstian.
"But a little while ago, and he was in our midst, ably expounding the
Law and zealously maintaining and defending his clients' rights ; aiid yet,
but a little thereafter, and we see him no more forever !
"Still we have the consoling reflection, that he is now at rest; that his
cares, his toils, his anxieties, and his sorrows, are all ended, and that his
Christian spirit, has ere this, commingled with the spirits of the just made
perfect in a better and happier world."
To which Judge Cranch replied :
"The Court has received, with deep sensibility, the information of the
death of Mr. Lee, the oldest member of this bar, and the last survivor of
those who were counsellors of this Court at the time of its erection in iSoi.
"The Court not only sympathizes with the bar and vrith the relatives
of the deceased, in the great loss tliey have sustained, but it deplores the
loss which the Court itself has suffered in being deprived of the benefit of
his counsel, learning, and research in preparing his causes lor the considera-
tion of tlie Court, and in assisting the Judges by his able arguments,
" In the long period of our association with him in the administration
of Justice, a friendship has been formed, which cannot be severed without
a wound. We bear testimony to the truth of his character as portrayed in
the resolutions presented to us by his brethren of the bar, and most will-
ingly permit them to be entered upon the minutes of the Court."
Of Mrs. Lee, her pastor wrote, adding his tc.>.Liniou) to that of the
Bishop, already quoted : " In youth she acknowledged the obligations that
rested upon her to dedicate all her faculties to the glory of her Creator and
Redeemer. Through all her future life it was her earnest exertion to live
up to her high and holy privileges as a Christian, and to recommend the
religion of her Saviour to all who came under her influence. Through a
long and painful illness, its abundant consolations were her support, and
in the last trying hour, when flesh and heart fail, the Redeemer she had so
long served did not forsake her. Faithful to His promises, the dark valley
was made light by His presence. She has gone to the rest prepared for the
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STRATFORD LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 38 1
people of God ; but her bright example, as a rich legacy, she has left to
her surviving friends."
Edmund I. and Sarah Lee had the following named children :
i, Edmund Jennings ^ See 55.
ii, Anne Harrioite®, born the 6th of March, 1799; died the 10th of
September, 1863; married, on the 2d of November, 1820, John Lloyd,
Esq., of Alexandria ; he was born the i6th of November, 1775 ; died
the 22(1 of July, 1S54. They had six children (Lloyd): i, Edmund
Jennings, born the 27th of August, 1822; died the ist of October,
1889, unmarried. 2, Rebecca, born the 7th of June, 1824 ; died on
the 17th of July, 1S73; married, on 2d of May, 1S44, Dr. John
Prosser Tabb, of Gloucester county, and had five children : John, Ma-
tilda Prosser, John Lloyd, John Prosser, and Rebecca Lloyd Tabb.
(See Tabb Family.) 3, Anne Harriotte, born the 7th of January,
1S26; died the 23d of June, 188S; married the Rev. John Stearns
and left issue : Mary, who married William Hoge ; John, Rebecca,
who married William Hastings; and Lawrence Stearns. 4, George
Francis, born the 28th of October, 1828 ; died the ist of October,
1866; married Mary Pindle Hammond, and had three children: Nel-
son, who married a Miss Morris ; Nannie, who married Robert Hare
Delafield ; Francis Frederick, who married a Miss Taylor. 5, Jean
Charlotte Washington, who married, in 1867, Captain Philip Tabb
Yeatman, C. S. A., and now resides at Alexandria. 6, Mary Lee
Lloyd, who is unmarried.
iii, Sarah % died unmarried, 14th of April, 1879, aged 78.
iv, William F]TZHUGH^ See 56.
v, Hannah ^ born about 1S06 ; died 9th of May, 1872, at Lewes, Dela-
ware; married, on the 5th of May, 1S40. at Alexandria, the Rev.
Kensey Johns Stewart, D. D., of the Episcopal Church ; they had the
following named children : i, Sally Lee, born loth April and died
25th August, 1841. 2, David, born 6th .April, 1842 ; died 8th July,
1847. 3, ILannah Pliilij)pa Lee, born 7th September, 1844; died
2 ist August, 1S45. 4, ALiry Eliza Kennedy, born 31st January, 1S47.
5, Edmund Lee, born 30th January, 1S51; died 21st May, 1857.
6, James Van Dyke, born 3olh A])ril, 1853 ; died 14th May, 1857.
Of these children, ^Llry Eliza Kennedy Stewart married, on 2Sth of
October, 1S69, at Gordonsville, \\'arner Minor Woodward, of Rich-
mond, and has the following children : Stewart Minor, Edmund Lee,
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382 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' "^
Mary Stewart, John Douglas (born loth August, 1S79 ; died 15th
June, iSSo), Mildred Minor, and Lettice I.ee Woodward.
Woodward — John Lee, son of Philip, of Maryland, moved to Vir-
ginia and settled in Essex county ; he married Susannah Smith (see 14)
and had eight 'children, among them a daughter, Lettice Lee, who
married (in 17S3?) Captain John Whiting, of Gloucester ; they had
four children, of whom Lettice Lee Whiting married, 2 2dof June, 1822,
Richard Woodv.ard, and had one son, John Pitt Lee Woodward, now
living, the father of the above-mentioned Warner Minor Woodward.
vi, Cassius Francis*^. See 57.
vii, Susan Meade*', born 26th ^larch, 1814 ; died 15th of February, 1815.
viii, Charles Henry*. See 58.
ix, Richard Henry ''. See 59. . .
THE TABB FAMILY.
Though the Tabbs appear to have been long seated in Gloucester
county, one of the name appearing on the vestry books of old Kingston
Parish as early as 1677, the first of the family (of whom there is any
record now extant in that county) was Philip Tabb, who came from
Amelia county to reside with his maternal uncle, Todd, of "Toddsbury."
This Philip appears to have inherited the estates of his uncle, and to have
lived at "Toddsbury;" he served in the Revolutionary war as a lieutenant,
and left issue ; John, P2dward, Henry A., and Thomas Tabb. x\ll of these
sons married and have left descendants. The two oldest, John and Edward,
made considerable fortunes, trading as tlour merchants from Norfolk,
especially during the war of 181 2, when they were very successful. Atler
the v,ar, both then very rich, settled in Gloucester; John resided at
'' White Marsh," and Edward at " Waverly," on the North River. Thomas,
the youngest brother, owned " Toddsbury," and lived thereuntil his death.
John Tabb married, on the iSth of December, 1S17, Evelina Matilda,
daughter of William Prosser ; he is said to have been descended from
Parson Prosser, one of the early rectors of York Hampton Parish. The
wife of this William Prosser, after his death, married a Rootes, of " White
Marsh," from whom, it is supposed, the Prossers inherited or purchased
that estate. Two other daughters of William Prosser married two Lees:
Julia Anna Marion, Richard Bland Lee, and Elizabeth, John Hite Lee.
John Tabb had by his marriage with Miss Prosser several children, but
only two. John Prosser and Philip, survived. Dr. John Prosser Tabb in-
herited ••• White Maish," a very elegant estate, and married, on the 2d of
^L^y, 1S44, Rebecca, the eldest daughter of John and Anne Harriotte (Lee)
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 383
Lloyd, of Alexandria, as slated ; they had five children : i, John, who has
been twice married ; first, to Judith Coleman, of Halifax county, by whom
he had issue: John, Alice, and Rebecca; he married, secondly, Mary
James, of Gloucester, and had : Judith (who died), Joseph, Mary Lee, and
Warner Tabb. They reside in Gloucester. 2, Matilda Prosser, who mar-
ried John Tayloe Perrin, of "Goshen," Gloucester county, and had issue:
Annie Lee, Rebecca Lloyd, Maud Tabb, and Elinor Perrin ; they reside
now at Baltimore, Md. 3, John Lloyd, who married Susan Selden, a
daughter of Robert C. Selden, of " Sherwood," Gloucester county, and had
issue : Warner Lewis, ]NLaud, and Lloyd Tabb ; they also reside at Balti-
more, Md. 4, John Prosser, who married Nellie McKenzie, of Baltimore,
and had issue : McKenzie, Prosser, and Nellie Tabb ; they, too, reside, at
Baltimore. 5, Rebecca, who married Samuel G. Brent, of Alexandria, and
had two children.
Dr. John Prosser Tabb was compelled, after the late war, to sell
"White Marsh;" he then removed to a smaller plantation, on the North
River, which he named "Ditchley." He died there; also his wife and
her mother, Mrs. Lloyd. Lately, his brother, Philip 1 "abb, has purchased
" White Marsh," and now resides there. He married a Miss Morris, of
New York, and had two daughters : Evelina Matilda, who married a Mr.
Balliere, and has children: Catharine, who is unmarried. "Toddsbury,"
which may be called the cradle of the Gloucester Tabbs, has also passed
into other hands.
STR-\TFORD LLNE, SIXTH GENERATION.
Thomas Lee.
40. Thomas*, the second son of Thomas Sim Lee^ (Tliomas*, Philii)\
Richard", Richard ^), and Mary Digges, his wife, was born the 2d of Feb-
ruary, 1774; died in October, 1S26 ; he was married, in October, 1797, to
Eleanor, the only daughter of Richard Cromwell.
His will was dated the 3d of ^L^y, 1S26, v.-ith two codicils added ; was
probated, in Anne .Arundel county, Md., the 23d of October, 1S26.
la the n-inie of God, Amen. I Thomas Lee of .Anne Arundel County and .State of
Maryland, being in perfect health of body and of sound and disposing mind, memory and
understanding, Considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and
being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be better pre[>.ared to leave this world
when It sliall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish tliis my last Will
and Testament in manner and fcrra following, that is to say:
First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my Body to
i Mj'iTA.fTH
384 LEE OF VIRGINIA. J '5
the Earth to be decently buried at the discretii.'n of iiiy Executrix here after named and after
my debts ar.d funeral charges are paid I devi.-ip and bequeath as follows —
Item, 1 give and bef[ueath niy farm on Elm Ridge, called Clarier Ilill, together with
all stock and utensils of f'Tming now thereon, to my wife Eleanor Lee and her heirs forever
in fee simple. Item, I give, will, bequeath and devise to my said wife Eleanor Lee all my
right estate and interest both in law and Equity to all property or possessions, real, personal
and mixed, which I in any way hold or claim title to in the State of Louisanna for and during
her natural life and from and after her decease to all my children share and share alike their
heirs and assigns forever; with the exception, at her own recjuest, of my daughter Mary who
was intermarried with Charles Carroll, Jr., Esq; provided also and it is my will and intention
by this my last will and testament to empower, autliorize and appoint my said wife Eleanor at
any time when she may so elect to sell, transfer, alien and convey all my right, title, interest,
estate and claims of whatsoever nature I hold in, jiossess or claim to possess in the aforesaid
State of Louisanna as aforesaid and to invest the proceeds of such sale in any publick stock
which she in her discretion may elect or prefer and to take, receive and enjoy all the interests,
emoluments and rents arising therefrom, for and during her natural life and after her decease,
it is my will and intention and I do hereby devise and bequeath and direct that the stock so
purchased and invested by her to be equally divided between all my Children, their heirs
and assigns, with the exception of my daughter mentioned as aforesaid.
Item, I devise and bequeath all the re.^t and residue of my Estate, real, personal and
mixed to my said wife Eleanor Lee during her natural life and from and after her decease to
all my children, their heirs and assigns, to be equally divided among said children share and
share alike.
Lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint Eleanor Lee, my wife, to be my Lawful
Executrix of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me
heretofore made, ratifying and Conlirraing this and none other to be my last will and testa-
ment. In testimony whereof &c.
1st. Codicil. I, the above named testator do make and declare and publish this my
Codicil to the above will and testament. It is my will and intention and I do hereby order
and direct that in consideration of the advances already made to my son Richard Lee, now
in the State of Louisanna, that he take no faith of the provision and property to be enjoyed
by my children after the death of my wife Eleanor Lee, which I have directed and bequeathed
in the above will and testament, to which this is a Codicil ; it is also my will and I do hereby
in this Co'licil declare and publish it, that my servant Tliumas Cient, now in the State of
Louisanna, aged about fifty years, to be manumitted and that provided with a suitable sup-
port from the prolits of my estate in Louisanna, 3rd of May, 1826.
2d. Codicil. I, Thomas Lee, of Anne Arundel County (i: State of Maryland, do make,
declare and pubMsh this my second Codicil to my last will and testament. Item, I give and
bequeath to my son Thomas Lx:e all my right, estate and interest both in law & Equity to all
property in possession, real, persona! and mixed, which I any way claim title to of what my
late Grandfatlier Ignatius Diggs of Prince Georges County died possessed of, on Condition
that he the said Thomas Lee siiall sell and dispose of the same to the best advantage and as
speedily as iio-;sil>le and appropriate the proceeds thereof to the payment of all my just debts as
far as the amount will extend and should there be any surplus after this object shall be accom-
plished, he shall place any such surplus in the hands of his mother my wife Eleanor Lee, to
be disposed of by her as is directed for my other property in my will to which this is a
Codicil. Item, I liereby declare \- make known that the person designated in my first Codicil
to my will annexed is my son Richard Henry Lee. Dated Sth of May, 1S26.
STRATFORD LIXE, SIXTH GENERATION. 3S5
On the 23d of ^^ay, 1S31, his widow, Eleanor L^e, niade the follow-
ing renunciation of her guardianship :
To the Honourable, the Judges of the Orphans' Court of Anne -\rcndel County: — The
subicriber, Widow of the late Thotyia-i Lee, of Anne Arundel County, hereby renounces the
fi^htto be the Guardian to her t^o minor CniiJren, William and Caanca Lee, and reqriests
that John J. Donaldson be appDinied in her Stead.
Thomas and Eleanor (Cromwell) Lee had the following eleven chil-
dren, only t'.vo of v.-hom left descendants:
i, Richard Hen'rv", born the 31st of July, 179S; died without issue,
ii, M.-vRY DiGGE? \ born the 9th of Jurie, 1800; died : was married
in October, 1S25, to Charles, son of Charles Carroll and Harriet
Chev*-, his v.-ife, and grandson of Charles Carroll, the Signer. They
had nine children. fSee Carroll Family.)
iii, Georgiaxa Wa5H;Xgton" ', born the 27th of May, ilzi: no iiSne.
iv, Tho.mas '. See 60.
V, Eleanor Cromwell', born the 5th of April, 1S-5 ; married and had
issue, all of whom died young.
vi, John Carroll", born the igih of June, 1807 : no issue.
vii, Henkv Pouch', born the 3d of March, iScp; no issue,
viii, William', born the 15th of December, iSii ; no issue,
ix, SoPHL\", born the ist of December, 1S13; no is?ue.
X, Charles Lancelot'; died in infancy. '
xi, Charles Arthur', born in 1S17: died in 1S37.
THE CARP.OLL FAMILY. '
This distingv.'sr.ed >Laryiand family derive their descent from an
ancient and honorable family of Ireland : one thai is said to be descended
froni the ancient kings of Munster, and :o have in:ermarried with the
noble houses of Ormond and Desmond in Ireland and v%-i:h that of Argvli
of Scotland. Early Irish history tells much of the wealth, power, and
influence of this family. Records in the possession of the Marvland
branch show that the ••Serr of O" Carroll was early established in Lowth,
being then popularly styled Princes of Orgeil. Previous to the English
invasion, immediately after the great Synod of Mcllifont in iicr, is
recorded the expulsion of their chief from that country, of which he liad
been the acknowledged lord from Drogheda to Asigh in the County of
Meath." ••The death of Araergin Carroll, Lord of Ely, is recorded in
1033. I^ ^3-7 John Carroll became Archbishop of Cashel. In 1349
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LEE OF VIROIXIA.
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Thomas Carroll became Bishop of Tuain." Many similar extracts might
be given, bat these fcAv are sufficient to show the prominence of this
family in their native land. About 1689 Charles Carroll, son of Daniel,
of Littalouna, King's county, Ireland, emigrated to America and settled
in the Province of :,Iaryland. He was a Judge, Register of the Land
Office, and an agent for Lord Baltimore. At his death he left a son,
Charles, who was born in 1702 and died in 17S?. He, too, became
prominent in the province and a leader of the Roman CathoMc party. He
married Elizabeth Brooke (v/ho may have been related to the first wife
of Philip Lee), and had a son, Charles, afterward famous as " Charles Car-
roll of Carrollton." He was born at Annapolis on the 20th of September,
1737, and lived to an advanced age,
to be the last survivor of those who
signed the Declaration of Independ-
ence, dying at Baltimore on the 14th
of November, 1832. ^^'hen only eight
years old he was sent to France, to be
tauglit by the Lnglish Jesuits at St.
Omer's._ After six years \\ith them he
went to the Jesuit College at Rheims;
next he spent two years at the Col-
lege of Louis le Grand. After study-
ir.g law, first in Prance and later at
the Middle Temple, at London, he re-
turned to Maryland in 1761. Charles
Carroll was, therefore, only twenty-
four vrhen he entered ujion his public
career, one that \^as to be so useful
and so brilliant. At the time of his
return the Province of Maryland, in common Avith her sister colonies, was
greatly excited over the famous "Stamp Act" and the other encroach-
ments which it foreshadowed. Mr. Carroll immediately interested himself
in the content, and by his pen and his voice greatly aided and encouraged
patriotic citizens. Space will not allow, nor is it necessary in this place,
to attempt a complete sketch of Charles Carroll's career. Suffice it to
say, that he was always an able, active, and fearless patriot ; that he held
many very prominent positions, and in all of them served his country
with marked ability and success. He was at different times a member of
the Provincial Assembly, of the Continental Congress, and held other
similar res[)onsible positions.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 387
In the year 1768, he married Mary ©a«aU, by whom he had one son
and two daughters. The son, also named Charles, married, in 1793, the
celebrated beauty, Harriet Chew, a daughter of Judge Benjamin Chew, of
Gennantown, Penna. ; sh.e was born the 2 2d of October, 1775, and died
the 8th of April, 1S61. From this union were born one son and four
daughters; the daughters were: i, Elizabeth, who married Dr. Aaron
'I'ucker, and had two sons. 2, Mary Sophia, who married the Hon. Rich-
ard H. Bayard, of Delaware, and had issue. 3, Harriet, who married Col.
John Lee, of '' Xeedwood " (see 42). 4, Louisa, who married Isaac Rand
Jackson, of Newbnryport, Mass., and left issue. The son, Charles, the
fifth of the name, married Mary Digges Lee, as stated, and had these nine
children (Carroll) :
i, Mary, born the loth of September, 1826; married Dr. Eleazer
Acosta, of Paris, and had one daughter.
ii, Charles, born in Octo])er, 1S28, and died in February, 1S95, with-
out issue; he married, on the 24th of June, 1857, Caroline Thomp-
son, of Staunton, Va., who survives him.
iii, Thomas Sim Lee, was born in 1829, and died in 1833.
iv, John Lee, was born in 1S30,, and still survives; he has been twice
married; first, on the 24tb. of April, 1S56, to Anita, daughter of Royal
Phelps, of New York, by whom he had these nine children: i,
Charles Lee, born at New York, the 5th of October, 1857, and died in
1S5S. 2, Mary Louisa, born the 26th of May, 1S59 ; married, on the
3d of December, 1S86, Comte Jean de Kergorlay, of France, and had
issue. 3, Anita Maria, born the 2S-th of ^^larch, 1861 ; married, on
the 14th of October, 1SS6, Baron Louis de la Grange, of France, and
has issue. 4, Royal Phelps, born the 29th of October, 1S62 ; married,
on the 3d of March, iSoo, ^Lirion Langdon, of New York, and has
i'^sne. 5, Charles, born at Baltimore, the 12th of January, 1865;
married, in November, 18S7, Susanne Bancroft, and has issue. 6,
Albert Henry, born at New York, the 6th of October, 1S66; died in
August, 1S67. 7, TsLiry Irene, born the 3d of ]\Iarch, 1S69, and died
the Sth of November, iSSS. 8, John Lee, born at New York, the
26th of February, iS7i."^''9, Mary Helen, born at New York, the 24th
of March, 1873. Mr. Carroll was married, secondly, on the 14th of
May, 1877, to Mary Carter Thompson, of Staunton, Va., and has one
son, Philip Acosta, born the loth of May, 1879. Mr. Carroll has
been a member of the Maryland State Senate, 1S67-72; Governor of
the State in 1S75. He now resides at Washington.
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V, vi, vii, Louisa, Thomas Sim Lee (2d), and Oswald, the next three
children of Charles and Mary Digges (Lee) Carroll, died in early in-
fancy.
viii, Albert Henry married, on the 4th of May, 1S5S, Mary Cornelia,
daughter of' William George Read, and Sophia Catharine Howard, his
wife, of Baltimore, and had issue : T^Iary Sophia, Mary Elinor, and
Agnes Carroll. Mr. Carroll was killed on the 7th of September,
1862, near Martinsburg, WestA'a., while serving in the Confederate
army. Mrs. Carroll married, secondly, on tlie 25th of June, 1S66,
Col. James Feniier Lee, son of Steplien S. and Sarah F. (Mallet) Lee,
formerly of South Carolina, now of Baltimore.
ix, Robert Goodlow Harper, born in 1S40; has been twice married;
first, in 1S62, to Ella Thompson, of Staunton, Va., who died v/ithoLit
issue; he was married, secondly, in 1S72, to Mary Digges Lee, daugh-
ter of Thomas Sim Lee, and Josephine O'Donnell, his wife (see 61, ii),
and has two sons: i, Charles, born the 12th of August, 1S73. 2,
Albert Henry, born in October, 1S74.
Charles Carroll, the Signer, owned a very extensi\e estate, knovrn as
** Doughoregan }.[anor," situated in the present county of Hovrard, Md.
This estate was devised to his grandson, and is now owned by the Hon.
John Lee Carroll. "The Manor house is a large and very handsome resi-
dence of the old colonial style, vrith chapel annexed, built about the year
1717." His other estate, " CarroUton Manor," was situated in Frederick
countv, Md., and contained about 10,000 acres; it was granted by Lord
Baltimore to the first Charles Carroll.
" Charles Carroll of CarroUton was not the only one of his name
living in Maryland from 1737 to 1782. Tb.ere were : First, his father,
Charles Carroll, who died in 17S2; second, his cousin, Charles Carroll,
barrister, born 2 2d of ^L^rch, 1723, thus by fourteen years his senior; an
eminent lrcV.'}er, educated at Eton and at Cambridge University, England,
studied law in the Tem.ple, was author of the Maryland ' Declaration of
Rights,' President of tiie Maryland Con\ention, rneml.er of the U. S. Con-
gress, first Chief Justice of ^Lar\•land, &c., >Scc. ; third, the 'Signer,' and
fourth, his son, Charles." (Rev. Horace E. Hayden.) It was to aviiid
any confusion of names that Charles Carroll always signed " of CarroUton "
at'ter his name.
William Lee.
41. V/illiam", the third sonof Tliomas Sim Lee ^ (^Thomas S Phili[)',
Richard", Ricb.ard ') and Mary Dirges, his wite, was born 23d of June,
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 389
1775 ; died Sth of July, 1845. lie married, on the 2d of October, 1S09,
Mary Lee, the fifth daughter of Robert Hollyday ; she died the 23d of
August, 18 iS, leaving five daughters and an infant son.
His will, dated the Sth of December, 1S42, probated in Frederick
county, Md., the 15th of July, 1045, was as follows:
In the name of God, Amen. I, Willi.im I.ee, of Frederick County, State of Maryland,
being in a state of feeble health of body but of sound and disposing mind, do declare the
following to be ray last Will and Testament. Imprimis, I direct my Executrix hereafter
named to bury my body decently and aftt^r the expenses of my interment are paid to dis-
charge ny just debts witli honor and justice from the fund hereafter appointed.
Item — I give and bequeath my negroes in manner following : to my daughter Mary
Digges, her heirs and assigns these negroes and their increase, that is to say, — lleuny and
her child Henry, William son of Suckey Sail, Robert, Maria and her four children, William,
Rachael, Alfred and Lery, Charles and his wife Prissy and their two children Edward and
rhilip, Joan the daughter of Eucy and Otliello, in all sixteen negroes. And it is my desire
and will that my said daughter in considerntion of the said servant Othello, pay the sum of
$400 to be added to the fund hereafter provikled for the payment of debts and to be sul'ject
to all the uses and limitation^ which are hcrcinai'lcr imposed upon that fund.
Item — I give and devise to the Trustee hereinafter appointed and his heirs forever,
these following negroes and their increase, that is to say : John, ■\Iaiy, and Bernard, the
children of Qi.irles and Prissy, Abrdiam, Mary, the daughter of Suckey Sail, and her two
children Susanna and Andrev,-, Mary Ann the daughter of Lucy, Ken, John and Polly the
children of Bob and Sail, — Eabtiste, Treasy and her child, in all, fourteen negroes, the said
trustee to hold the said negroes and their increase to himself and his heirs in trust, never-
theless for the sole use and benefit of my son Thomas and his heirs for ever, my son Thomas
to have the power to dispose of any of the said negroes with the approval and v.ith the
written consent of said ti-ustee, and the proceeds of said sale to be held by said trustee and
invested by him for the use and benefit of the said Thomas and his heirs.
Item — I give and devise to the said trustee and hi^ heirs forever, these following
negroes and their increase, that is to say : Eucy and her five children, Margary, Isaac, and
Dick, Cornelius and Thomas, Aaron the son of Bob and Sail, Daniel the son of Charles and
Prissy the said trustee to have the said negroes and their incr;.a3e to himself and his heirs
forever, in trust, nevertheless, for the sole and separate use and benefit of niy daughter Ellen
Lynch of the State of Virginia and her iy-ue, which, together with those negroes, I have
heretofore in my life time, given in trust to nv.' daughter Eli-.-n amount to sixteen negroes.
Item — 1 hereby declare it to be my will and desire that the following named negroes
shall be considered as manumitted and set free from all manner of service to my heirs,
namely, Bob and liis wife Sail, old Henny and little Will, which said last named negroes
shall be maintained and taken good care of by my daughter Mary 1 'iggs, during their nat-
ural lives, if they think proper to live v.itii her — also Suckey Sail and Molly v>ho shall be
maintained and t.iken good care of during their natural lives by my son Thomas if they
think proper to live with him — also Charity, who shall lie maintained and taken good care
of during her natural life by my daughter Ellen Lynch, if she think proper to live with her —
also my faithful servant Jack who shall be maintained and taken good care of during his
natural life by all or any of my said children and the said Jack shall have a right to live
with or be suj'ported by any of them with whom he may think proper to live — alsO Suckey
390 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
and her daughter Matilda and the children of Matilda and their increase — and it is my will
and dfsire that my said executrix, as soon as possible after my decease, shall if practicalle
and with the consent of the said negroes send the last named negroes, that is to say, Suckev
and her family to the Roman Catholic settlement in Liberia and pay the expenses of their
transportation.
Item — It is my will and desire that all the personal property on my said farm in Fred-
erick County and State of Maryland, other than the negroes aforesaid shall be divided by
my executrix, into three equal shares according to the legal appraised %"alue thereof, which
said shares I give and bequeath to my three children, one share to each ; and in case they
be dissatished with the division made by my executrix, then it is my desire that the said
property be divided in the manner aforesaid by my friend and relative Col. John R. Dall
whose division shall be final and binding on my said children.
Item — I hereby constitute and appoint my daughter Marj" Diggs the sole executrix of
this my last will and testament.
Itera — I give and bequeath to my executrix aforesaid and to her heirs forever all my
real estate in Montgomery County of this State, called " Eurgundy," and it is my desire
that my executrix. should as soon as practicable sell the said " Burgundy " and appropriate
the proceeds of said sale to the purposes hereinafter mentioned also all my right, title or in-
terest in and to my Bonds, notes, money or negroes now in the State of Louisiana, belong-
ing to me or due me from any person or persons in said State ; said Bonds, notes or negroes
to be converted into money as soon as practicable by my said executrix and the proceeds
thereof appropriated to the purposes hereinafter mentioned.
Item — It is my will and desire that the fund created by the preceding clause should be
appropriated in manner following :
1st. To pay all my just debts which are not otherwise provided for by this my last will.
2d. The balance to be paid over to the said trustee to be hereinafter appointed to be
held by him to himself and his heirs, in trust nevertheless to and for the uses and purposes
following, that is to say : — that he the said trustee divide the said sum so received from my
executrix into two e |ual shares or portions, and it is my desire that he hold cm of the said
shares or portions for tlie use and benefit of my son Thomas and his heirs forever, with power
to invest and change the investments of the scane as often as the said trustee may deem it
advisable to do so, — And it is my desire that he hold the other share aforesaid together with
the negroes hereinbefore devised to the said trustee for the use of the said Ellen, to the sole
and separate use and benefit of my said daughter Ellen and her issue forever, and in case of
her dying without issue then to and for the sole use and benefit of the said Mary Diggs and
the said Thomr.3 and the survivor of them and their heirs and the heirs of the survivor of
them, the said trustee to have the power to invest said shcxe of money and change the invest-
Hicnt thereof as he may deem the most ad\'isable and proper, and it is my desire that the said
Ellen and her husband during her life shall have the power to sell and dispose of any of said
slaves hereinbefore devised to said trustee for the use of the said Ellen pronded the said
trustee shall approve and give hi> written consent thereto and in case of said s.ile, then the pro-
ceeds thereof shall be invested and held in trust by said trustee in manner and as last above
stated.
Item — I give and bequeath to my son Thomas and his heirs and ;issigns the reversion of
a negro girl Ellen and her increase who was by deed recorded in Washington City, D. C,
given by me to a ceitain Mary Tritt until the said Ellen should arrive at the age of twenty-
seven years.
Item — I give devise and bequeath to my daughter Marj- Diggs and her heirs forever in
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 39I
fee simple all my land and real estate lying in Frederick County and State of Maryland on
wiiich I now reside and it is my will and desire that any sum or sums of money which I may
owe the heirs of the late Dr. Clement Smith and Henry Warring shall be charged upon said
real estate and be paid by my said daughter Maiy Diggs.
Item — It is my will and desire that all my silver should be appraised according to law
and that my daughter Mary Dig'gs should have the choice of taking the said silver at the
apprai^-^d va'ue: tiut in case she does not chuse to do so then I give the next choice to my
daughter Ellen Lynch and if she does not chitsc to do so then to my son Thomas if he will
pay the appraised value thereof — which said equivalent shall be distributed as the other
personal property is directed to be distributed by this will.
Item — I hereby constitute and appoint my friend Dr. Horatio Claggett of AYashington
County as the trustee as hereinbefore referred to, with all the powers conferred on said
trustee by this my last will and testament.
Item — Finally I give and bequeath to my e.\ecutri.\ afores'd all my property, real, per-
sonal and mi.xed, which is not hereinbelore specifically devised to be by her converted into
money and the proceeds thereof to be paid over to the s'd trustee for the uses and purposes
before specified — that is, he shall divide the same into two shares and hold the two shares
for the use of Thomas and Ellen as is provided as to the fund herciofore created. Signed,
etc.
Codicil. I, William Lee of Frederick County and State of >baryland desiring for
good rea.vons to make certain changes in my last will and testac;eiit, do hereby constitute
and appoint this as my codicil to my said last will and testament e.\ecuted on the twenty-
eighth day of December 1S42, and I hereby revoke and declare null and void all parts of
my said last will and testament which may be in any manner inconsistent with this my
codicil :
1st. In consequence of the widowhood of my daughter Ellen the lot of servants named
in my said will, as left to a trustee for her benetlt, the same lot and their increase I now
leave to my daughter Ellen her heirs and assigns forever.
2d. I herel.iy direct my executrix named in my said last w-ill to distriljute the fund raised
by the sale of the residue of " Burgundy " and the property in Louisiana, as stated in my
said will, in manner following : To pay all my just debts which are not otherwise provided
for by my last will not excepting any balance which may be due the estate of the late Dr.
Smith, which debt is new in a state of liquidation.
3d. To divide the residue into three equal shares, one of wl\ich I desire my said execu-
trix ;o retain to herself and her heirs and assigns, another of which she is to pay over to my
daughter Ellen her heirs and a-signs, and the balance she is to pay over to the trustee in
my said will named to be held by him to the use of my sun Tlio-.aas, under the uses, lim-
itations and powers in my said will particularly set forth and spccilied.
4th. I hereby give and bequeath to my daughter Ellen during her natural life, an annu-
ity of three hundred do'dars per annum and direct my executrix to pay or cause to be paid to
my said daughter Ellen the said annuity semi-annually, that is to say, one-half thereof on
the Hrit day of January and on the First day of June — and I hereby will and direct that the
said annuity shall be a charge on the real estate on which 1 now live and which is devised
by my last will to my daughter Mary Diggs, and the said real estate shall always be bound
for the said annuity during the life time of the said Ellen. Signed and sealed this nth day
of November, 1S43.
William and Mary Lee (PIoll\-da\-) Lee had the following issue :
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392 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
i, Mary Digges^ born the 20th of June, iSio; was married on the 2d
of September, 1S51, to Samuel L. Gouverneur, of New York, no issue;
Mrs. Gouverneur still survives and resides at "Needwood," Frederick
county, Maryland. Almost all the data concerning the family of her
grandfather, Gov. Thomas Sim Lee, have been furnished by this vener-
able lady, to whom many thanks are most heartily rendered.
ii, Sarah Brooke \ born 29th of September, iSii, and died in infancy.
iii, Eliza Horsey', born the 25th of January, 1S13 ; died in 183S, un-
married.
iv, Eleanor\ born the 5th of May, 1S14; married, in 1S40, Eugene H.
Lynch; died 7th of July, 1873, without issue.
V, Anna Gasion ', born 25th of August, 1816; died when quite young.
vi, Thomas Sim'. See 61.
Colonel John Lee.
42. John*, the youngest child of Thomas Sim Lee^ (Thomas*,
Philip', Richard'-, Richard^) and Mary Digges, his wife, was born the 30th
of January, 17SS, and died the 17th of May, 1S71 ; he was married, on
the 5th of June, 1S32, to Harriet, daughter of Charles and Harriet (Chew)
Carroll.
Col. John Lee, as he was always known in his latter years, v.as
educated at Harvard, and later studied Ian'. He resided in ^Vashington
during his last years. A writer in one of the papers of that city has said of
him : " Colonel Lee was a warm Federalist in early life. After the war of
1S12, he united himself with Adams and subsequently with the Whig party.
He served in Congress from the r>ederick, Md., district in 1S23-5, and
was the chairman of the House committee appointed to escort the .slarquis
de Lafayette from Frederick City to Washington. He was tlicn thirty-
seven years of age, and one of the most elegant men in America. As
master of ceremonies in the festivities which ensued upon the arrival of the
Marquis in Washington, Colonel Lee was especially distinguished. Col.
Lee, during his service in Congress, became warmly attached to !Mr. Clay
and followed his fortunes with devotion until the last. He was his trusted
and confidential friend, and in that capacity made frequent journeys
throughout the country. In i860, he supported V>c\\ and Everett. In
later years of his life he espoused the cause of the Conservatives and
never ceased to feel a deep interest in their success. Colonel Lee was
a most delightful companion ; his conversational powers were of the first
order — his memory strong and accurate. His life, extending from the
adoption of the Constitution to the iiresent day, covered one of the most re-
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 393
niarkahle eras in the history of the Avorld. He remembered the last years
of the administration of Washington — the campaigns of Smvarrow and Na-
poleon in Italy — Marengo, Areola, and the battle of the Pyramids ; the
days of non-intercourse and embargo : the death of Hamilton ; the trial
of Burr. His temper was admirable ;. adversity could not sour him nor
freeze the genial current of his soul. In religion he was a Roman Cath-
olic and a sincere worshipper at its ancient altars. A native of the South,
there was no provincialism in his composition. Col. Lee was one of the
pioneers of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, and never ceased, even at the advanced age of four score, to evince
a deep interest in all the interr.al improvements of his native State."
John and Harriet (Carroll) Lee had four children :
i, ^NIarv Digges^, born 1834; married Dr. Jonathan Letterman,
U. S. Army, and had : ^fary Catharine and Ann ^Madeleine.
ii, Harriet Chew", died in early infancy.
iii, Charles Carroll ^ See 62.
iv, Thomas Sim', born 1S42; lives in Washington, and is rector of
the Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias.
Dr. George Lee.
43. George^, the only son of George Lee^ (Thomas Ludwell *,
Thomas', Richard", Richard') and Eveline Byrd PJeverley, his wife, was
born about 1796, for his father (in his v. ill dated the 28th of October,
1S02) desired his ov/n brother, Thomas Ludwell Lee, should assume the
guardianship of George when he " arrives at the age of seven years." Dr.
Lee died in 1S5S, probably in February of that year; he resided at Lees-
burg. He was married, on tlie loih of July, ICS27, to Sarah Moore, the
daughter of Richard H. and Or;a (Moore) Henderson, a lawyer of Lees-
burg ; Mrs. Lee died at that place the i6th of February, iSSS.
George Lee's will was dated the 13th of November, -1S51, and pro-
bated, in Loudoun county, on the 9th of March, 1858.
I, George Lee, of the town of Let^burg in the county of Loudoun and State of Vir-
ginia, do declare this to be my ]a.->t will, hereby revoking all former wills made by me.
l-t. I direct that all my just debts be paid and to accompli.^h th.is object I direct my Execu-
trix hereinafter mentioned to sell such portions of my real estate as she may think proper;
after applying to the mi'l debu tiie proceeds of such portions oi my personal estate as she
may not wish to retain, and I give her full power ani.i authority to retain or sell such parts
of my personal estate as she may think proper. 2nd. After the payment of my debts I de-
vise and bequeath to my beloved wife Sally ^L Lee all rny estate of every description during
her widowhood, and if she marries again it shall be divided as follows: one third shall be
held by the same Sally daring her lifetime, and the other two thirds shall be equally divided
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394 L^E OF VIRGINIA. ' '''
among ray children, who may be alive and the d'jscendants of such of them as may be dead ;
said descendants to have such share as their parents would have taken if alive; the third
given to my wife, in the event of her marriage, shall at her death be divided in like manner,
with the two thirds given in this clause to my children and their descendants. 3rd. And if
my wife should remain a widow till the period of her death, I direct tliat all of my estate of
every description shall be th..-n equally di%'ided among my children who shall then be alive
and the descendants of such as may be dead, the said descendants to take such share as
their parents would have taken if alive. 4th. T hereby empower and authorize my Execu-
trix to sell and convey whensoever she may deem it expedient to do so, the whole or any
part of my real estate and invent the proceeds in stocks of the United Slates or the State of
Virginia, or loan them upon good real estate security if no such stocks can be obtained on
what she may deem reasonable terms ; and the said proceeds shall be held and enjoyed by
the same persons and for the same interests as is hereinbefore directed in regard to my
estate in the second and third clauses of this \'--ili. But the purchasers of said real estate
shall not in any event be responsible for the application or investment of the purchase
money. 5th. I constitute and appoint my said v.ifo Sally M. Lee sole Executrix of this my
last will and direct that she may be permitted to qualify without giving security. In witness
•whereof, etc.
Dr. George and Sally Moore (Henderson) Lee had a very large family,
numbering, it is said, tuenty-three children. Of these, a daughter, Orra,
married John M. Orr ; anodier, Maria, died single, as did also a third,
Elizabeth Clagett ; Evelyn Byrd married Thomas Delany. No dates of
births, etc., known. Besides these daughters, Dr. George Lee left :
i, George'. See 6^.
ii, Archibald Henderson \ who died unmarried.
Rev. Richard Henry Lee.
44. Richard Henkv^ the eldest son of Ludwell Lee^ (Richard
Henry*, Thomas \ Richard', Richard') and Flora Lee, his first wife, was
born the 23d of June, 1794, and died at Washington, Pa., the 3d of
January, 1S65. He was tuice married, and had issue by each marriage.
Mr. Lee was educated at Dickinson College, Pa., where he graduated with
the honors of his class. He then studied law with the late Judge Thomas
Duncan, of Carlisle, Pa., and began the practice of Ids profession in Lou-
doun county. While residing at Leesburg he edited the Memoirs of his
grandfather, Richard Henry Lee, and of his great-uncle, Dr. Arthur Lee,
which were issued in 1S25 and 1S29 respectively. He was also at one time
Mayor of Leesburg. Mr. Lee was a scholar, especially accomplished in
classical literature and belles-lettres ; he read Greek and Latin authors with
ease, and, having a fine uKmiory, treasured up their beauties for frequent
reference. In 1S33 he was called to the Chair of Languages at Washing-
ton College, Pennsylvania, and in 1S37 was transferred to that of Belles-
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 395
Lettres. During his occupancy of these professorships he continued the
practice of law. But in 1854 he gave up the law and resigned his profes-
sorship to begin the study of theology, with a view to entering the min-
istry of the Episcopal Church, which he did in 1S58, and assumed charge
of Trinity Church, Washington, Pa. He was in charge of that church at
the time of his death.
Writing to the late Cassius F. Lee, Jr., under date of iSth of Novem-
ber, 1S61, Mr. Lee told of his disposal of the various MSS. used by him
in the preparation of the Memoirs. Lie wrote:
"My Dear Cousin: When your letter of the 24th ult. reached here I
was in Philadelphia, and since my return I have been suffering from a
severe cold, which, together with current duties, has delayed this reply.
" I am happy to see from your letter that you are cherishing a venera-
tion for the great and wise patriots of the Revolution, and greatly regret it
is out of my power to gratify your desire to possess their autographs. I
presented to the .Athenceum in Pha. all the ]MSS. from which I composed
our Grandfather's Life ; and to the L^niversity of Cambridge all those I
used in the Life of our L'ncle Arthur. Some years after I presented to the
L'niversity of Virginia all the rest. I had selected some for my sons ; but
the many applications continually made to me, from every part of this coun-
try and Europe, led me to give away, one after another, every MSS., until I
have nof one left, to the e\ces--<ive regret, now, of my sons and myself.
"Present my affectionate regards to your Father and Uncle Charles.
You will greatly oblige me by letting me hear about Cousin Edmund L Lee
and his family, and of Cousin R. H. Lee. In these deplorable times I am
anxious to hear of them. I hope your mother has recovered. I heard in
Trenton, N. J., of her illness."
Richard Henry Lee had by !NL\ry Duncan Mahon, his first wife, the
following issue :
i, ALary Ann", born in 1S19; died the 13th of March, 1856; married
in 1S54 Isaac Winston, but had no issue.
ii. Flora', born , 1S21 ; died November, 1S63; unmarried.
iii, Richard Henry '; died in infancy.
iv, Frances Havne', born- , 1823; died the 28th of July, 1SS5 ;
married Isaac Winston ; no issue.
Richard Henry Lee had by his second wife, Anna Eden Jordan,
of St. Mary's, Maryland, the following five children :
V, Sa.muel A.^ born , 1S29; died in early infancy.
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396 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
vi, Richard Hexry"'. See 64.
vii, Philip Ludwell', born the 3d of July, 1835 ; died unmarried on the
25th of December. 1SS9 ; was a Captain in U. S. Army,
viii, John Llewellyn', born the 4th of July, 1S3S; died the i3lh of
January, 1S70. •
ix, Francis LIGHTFOOT^ See 65.
Rear-Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee. ),
45. Samuel Phillips®, the eldest son of Francis Lightfoot Lee*
(Richard Henry*, Thomas ^ Richard ^ Richard^) and Jane Fitzgerald, his
second wife, was born at '-'Sully," P'airfax county, the 13th of February,
18 1 2, and still survives, residing with his wife, at Silver Spring, Md., near
Washington City. Entering the Navy at an early age, he has spent almost
his entire life in the service of his country; a brief resume can only be
given here: ^ ■- ^tv-J Jnnc t>.)5'"^'^ v ;:^"^-wr^Yn,vQ of pn. ,•.!-.■«, ,^ -^ocv^.i^ «v.-,.-io.. kSo.v
He was ''appointed MidshlNiian from A'irginia, Xovember 23, 1S25 ;
ordered to sloop-of-war ' Hornet,' West India Station, February 7, 1S27;
ordered to line-of-battle-ship 'Delaware,' and transferred in the Mediterra-
nean as Captain's Aid to frigate 'Java,' August 24, 1S27; ordered to Nor-
folk School, A'irginia, October 16, 1S30. Promoted Xo Passed Midship-
ma?i, June 4, 1831, and ordered to Navy Yard, Boston, July 28, 1831.
Ordered to frigate ' Drandywine,' Pacific Squadron, as Second ]NIaster, and
transferred to the ' \'incennes ' as Acting Lieutenant and additional navi-
gator, April 17, 1S34. Promoted to Lieutenant, February 9, 1837; or-
dered to Exploring Expedition, Jul}- 19, 1837 ; ordered to AV'est India
Squadron, Decemlier 13, 1S39; ordered to receiving ship at x\lexandria,
Virginia, December 8, 1841 ; ordered to Coast Surve}', April 10, 1S42 ; or-
dered to command Coast Survey schooner ' Vanderbuilt,' August 4, 1S44;
ordered to Navy Yard, Pensacola, Florida, November 11, 1844; ordered
to command Coast Survc}' schooner 'Nautilus,' Maich 9, 1846; oideicd to
command Coast Survey brig 'Washington,' Dcceml-er 29, 1S46, on his
own application to participate in the Mexican war ; was present at tlie cap-
ture of Tobasco, and subsequently transferred to the command of the C-oast
Survey steamer ' Legare.' He al\va\s considered coast-survey duty as one
of the best schools of naval practice, and advocated its return to the aduiin-
istration of the Navy Department. Ordered to command the brig 'Dol-
phin' on special service, to make deep-sea soundings, try currents, search
for vigias, etc. (rc[;ort published bs' Congress, 1S54), July 3, 1851. De-
tached and ordered to duty on wind- and current-charts, July 7, 1S52.
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MRS. S PHILLIPS LEE.
STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 397
Promoted to Commander. September 14, 1855. Ordered as member of
Examining Eoard, March 12, 185S; ordered to command sloop-of-war
♦ Vandalia,' with orders to the East Indies, November i, i860. When he
ler.rned, at the Cape of Good Hope, of the rebellion, assv.ming the risk of
acting against orders, he brought his ship back, and was assigned to the
blockade off Charleston, South Carolina, where he succeeded in maintaining
it with the ' Vandalia,' a sailing vessel, when her steam consort was blown
o5. Before the return of the consort, a British steam-gunboat ventured in
to inspect the blockade, and finding it, under such conditions of v.eather,
actual and close, foreign scrutiny was terminated. Ordered to command
the sloop of-war 'Oneida,' January 20, 1S62. and to report to Admiral
Farragut. In the expedition against New Orleans, he commanded the ad-
vance division below the forts, Jackson and St. Philip. In the gunboat
actions, when the gunboats took part in the bumbardment, to draw the
fire from the bomb-vessels, the 'Oneida' was at one time engaged alone
with both forts. In the action of the passage of the forts, the ' Oneida '
was one of the three vessels first to encounter the enemy's fleet, and she re-
lieved the ' Varuna ' by driving off the two rams which had rammed her,
forcing their burning and captured the commander of the ' Governor
Moore.' The ' Oneida' participated in the capture of the Chalmette bat-
teries below Nev,- Orleans ; became advance guard above the city. For a
time Lee commanded the advance division below Vicksburg and partici-
pated in both passages of the Vicksburg batteries, the 'Oneida' being
the second in line on each occasion. Promoted to Captain, July 16, 1S62.
Appointed Actin;^ Rear- Admiral, 'itiA^xnXitx 2, 1862, and ordered to the
command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Was engaged in
blockading the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina, and zealously co-
operating with armies in defense of Norfolk, Newbern, and Washington,
fighting with their iron-clads and heavy fortifications in Trent's Reach,
and their field-batteries along Grant's line of communications on the
James River, always securely held while Admiral Lee was in command.
For two years he fulfilled the arduous duties of his command, perfecting
and maintaining a vast blockade.
"T'ne dangerous navigation of the North Carolina coast, owing to the
long shoals of Cape Fear, between the two ports into Wilmington ; the near-
ness of the British ports of Bermuda and Nassau, from which steamers of
excellent form and great speed, of low build and gray color, ran at night ;
the immense profits tempting the risks, made the blockade an undertaking
of the greatest difficulty,- and yet the Confederacy was, in effect, isolated,
by several girdles of cruisers (a system originated by Rear-Admiral Lee),
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398 LEE OF VIRGINIA,
from foreign recruits, supplies, and munitions of war. Of the total number
of blockade-nmning steamers captured or destroyed by this squadron, sixty-
five in all, fifty-four were captured or destroyed by the fleet under Admiral
Lee's command. Besides blockading, the main duty of the squadron, it,
independently or in co-operation with the army, was engaged in ninety-one
actions and expeditions during this period. The efficiency and importance
of this service, together with the small loss from shipwreck on so dangerous
a coast, have excited the approving comment of foreign military observers.
Detached and ordered to command of Mississippi Squadron, October 21,
1864. The efficiency of this squadron was maintained, notwithstanding
the withdrawal of a large number of experienced officers. Lee's movement
up the Cumberland to support General Thomas was in co-operation with
the army against the apprehended crossing of the river by Hood and his
marching to the Ohio. The flag-ship was stopped at Clarksville b_v the low
stage of water, which was still falling on liarpeth Shoals; the river rising
barely enough in time to allow Fitch to move the gunboats at Nashville and
participate in the defeat of Hood, but not enough to make Harpeth Shoals
passable until three days later. Army communications were kept open and
operations supported with vigor and effect, and the lower Mississippi was
vigilantly guarded against the intervention of the trans-Mississippi Confed-
erate forces. The oj)eration of the squadron on the Tennessee River
prevented Hood on his retreat from crossing where the I'ennessee was
navigable, forcing him to cross six miles above the head of navigation on
Muscle Shoals, the rocky l.iarrier that effectually closes navigation for thirty
miles above the close piers of Florence Bridge, where he had previously
crossed. Detached from the Mississippi Squadron, August 14, 1865, which,
after much arduous labor, had been disbanded, vessels laid up or sent to other
squadrons, officers and men discharged or transferred. Promoted to Coni-
inodorc, July 25, 1S66; ordered as President of Examining Board, August
7, 1S66; ordered as member of Examining Board to meet at Philadelphia,
March 6, iSoS; ordered as President of E.xamining Board, April 17, 1S6S;
ordered as President of Conrt-Martial at New York, May 29, 1S68; ordered
as President of Board of Examiners, February 13, 1S69 ; ordered as meml)er
of a Board to examine the Atlantic Navy Yards and was author of the report
to improve them, March 10, 1869; ordered in charge of Signal Service,
Washington, D. C, October 13, 1.S69. Promoted Rcar-Adniiral, April 22,
1S70; ordered to special duty at Navy Dei^artment, Jrme 27, 1S70; ordered
to special duty at Navy Department, June 27, 1870; ordered to command
North Atlantic Squadron, August 9, 1870; detached, August 15, 1872.
Retired, February 13, 1S73." (Hamersley, Records of Liviru; Officers of
the U- S. N'avy and^ ^farine Corps. 1S90.)
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STRATFOPD LINE, SIXTH OFNKRATION. 399
Admiral ].ce was mn-riod, on the 27th of April, 1843, to Elizabeth,
d.iughter of I'rancis Presinn Llair, and Eliza Violet Gist, his wife, who was
a i.laiiuhter of Col. Nathaniel Gist. Erancis TVeston Blair was born at
Abingdon, \'a., the 12I!-; of April. 1791, and died at Silver S{>ring, Md.,
the iSth of October, 1S76; of his long and well-known career as lawyer,
politician, and statesman, it is unnecessary to allude in this place. His
eldest son, Montgomer}- T'liir, -vwas born in P'ranklin county, Kentucky, the
loth of May, 1S13, and died at Silver S'pring. Md., the 27th of July, 1SS3;
he graduated at West Point, served in the Seminole war, resigned in 1836
to take up the study of the law. settled at St. Louis, was Mayor of that city
in 1S42, Judge of Court of Cosrimon Pleas in 1S43, removed to Maryland in
1S52, and served asPostmastei-General from 1861 to 1S64. The second son,
Erancis Preston, Jr., vras born at Lexington, Ky., the 19th of Eebruary,
1S21, and died at St. Louis, Mo., the Sth of July, 1875 ; was a prominent
politician, served in volunteer forces during late civil war, rising to the rank
of Brigadier-General, and was U. S. Senator frorn Missouri in 1S71.
Admiral Lee has only one child, a son :
i, Erancis Pkestox Plahi". See 66.
Major John Eitzoer.\ld Lee.
46. John Eitzgerai d'', the second son of Francis Lightfoot Lee*
(Richard Plenry*, Thomas \ Richard*, Richard^), and Jane Eitzgerald, his
second wife, was born at "Sully," Eairfax county, the 5th of May, 1S13;
died at St. Louis, Mo., the T7th June, 18S4, and was buried in the Catholic
cemetery in that city. He v.as married, on the 29th of April, 1S45, to
Eleanor Anne, daughter of William M. and Anne Darnall (Smith) Hill, of
Prince George's county, Md., where she was born ; she died the 24th of
April, 1 89 1.
John Eitzgerald Lee entered West I'oint as a cadet on ist of July, 1S30,
and graduated in 1834; v/as appointed brevet 2d lieutenant, ist artillery,
on lA of July, 1034; 2d' !iei;'.cnaiu on 23d of July, 1S35; served in
Florida against the Seminole Lidians, as captain in the regiment of mounted
Creek volunteers; made isr lieutenant 1st artillery, 17th of December,
1S36; brevet captain, 27th of January, 1S37, " for gallantry and good con-
duct in the war agair.st the Florida Lidians ;" ist lieutenant of ordnance,
9th of July, 1S3S; served as ordnance oflicer at Little Rock, 183S-40; at
Washington, 1S41-42 ; commanded the arsenal at Fort Monroe, 1846-47,
the Washington arsenal, 1847-48, and later at St. Louis ; was made captain of
ordnance, 3d of March, 1847 ; apjiointcd Judge Advocate of the Army with
headquarters at Washington, 1S49-62, with brevet rank of major of staff.
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400 LEE OF VIRCTNIA.
Such is the condensed official record of his army life; from a member
of his family a fe\v further details have been gathered. "While stationed at
Fort Macon^ X. C, he devoted himself zealously to the study of the law,
for which he had a marked aptitude ; later, his prof.ciency in the law,
especiall)' in all questions that pertained to courts-martial, became generall}-
recognized and indicated him as the officer best fitted for the position of
Judge Advocate of the Arm}-, when that office was created. This post he
filled with signal ability, untiring zeal, and industry, making every effort to
enforce discipline with firmness and strict attention to the rules and regula-
tions of the service, but never with undue harshness; always doing his best
to promote the efticiency and maintain th.e honor of the army, in which he
took great pride. The outbreak of the Civil War found him in this post,
which was greatly to his taste and pleasure, living at his own home in W'ash-
ington, and at a convenient distance from Ids tobacco ['lantations in Calvert
and Prince George's counties, Md. ; to these plantations he made frequent
visits, supervising the farming operations, and caring for the welfare of his
slaves. After the struggle actually began between the sections, his sympa-
thies and affection went v/ith tlie South, though his judgment convinced him
from the outset of the hopelessness of its contest against the greatly superior
numbers and resources of the Xortli. In 1S62, he retired to the ''Lodge,"
in Prince George's county, ]Md., which estate had been in his wife's family
since it was granted them by the first Lord Baltimore and is still owned by
his children. During tlie war, the negrues of 2\Lar\land could readily leave
their masters, but, of Major Lee's slaves, not one old servant deserted him ;
the young men ran away, leaving their wives, children or aged parents to
be cared for by the kind old master, and, after the war, even they returned
to the old plantation. Li 1867, ^hajor Lee was chosen a member of the
^Laryland Constitutional Convention, and was a meml^er of the State Senate
in the ncvt Assembly. Li 1S73, he rcmo\ed to Washington fur the winters.
About a year before his dealh, he removed with his \sife and daughter to
St. Lou!^. v.du-re three ofn's so'"'S were already residing.
Major Lee was a man al.'ove the middle height, of good physique, and
erect military carriage. His complexion was ruddy, his head large, and
covered with a thick suit of curly hair, which was always closely cut, and
which in his youth was red. but later on was brown. His manner was
promi)t and decisive, and liis language singularly terse and vigorous. His
intellect was clear ; and he had the prudence which his family motto enjoins ;
but he was extremely generous, and his sympathies were of th.e quickest and
tenderest character; impul.-.ive, but reliable. No man had a heartier aver-
sion for a mean, a cruel, or a dishonorable action. His fondness for litera-
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 40I
tare was something very genuine and keen, especially for the classical
models. His reading was very extensive, and a memory such as is rarely
mot with placed a large part of what he had read at his command in the
words of the author. He was an easy, forcible writer ; and a most charm-
ing, instructive, and witty ■conversationalist, absolutely free from ostentation,
pedantry, and superciliousness; alike considerate and kind to gentle and
simple, clerk and clown. His attainments and his natural gifts were accom-
panied by such kindness and sympathy as never to produce a depressing
effect on the dullest or most envious. In fact, there were scarcely any
persons so inferior that his appreciative nature could not find some merit in
them ; and his cheery laugh, and cordial while dignified manner, brought
a glow of liveliness and pleasure to all who were thrown in contact with
him, no matter how different might be their temperaments or conditions.
The following notice of Major Lee, written by an old army friend, ap-
peared in one of the St. Louis paper? :
" The grave will close to-day over the remains of this gifted man. He
was little known in St. Louis, where he died, but for nearly fifty years he
has been a prominent member of society in Washington City, and his name
is a household word with all the other officers of the United States Army.
" He was born May 5th, 1813. He was a grandson of Richard Henry
Lee, the colleague and almost the equal in eloquence of Patrick Henry in
the Congress of 1776. He was admitted into the United States Military
.-Vcademy as a cadet from Virginia in 1830, and graduated with distin-
guished honor in 1S34. Commissioned a lieutenant of artillery, he was
afterward attached to the ordnance corps, and stationed at various
foriresses and arsenals, according to the exigencies of the service, until
1S49. During this interval he served one campaign in Florida, in the
Seminole War.
" He had repeatedly been detailed as Judge Advocate, and had mani-
fested signal capacity for the duties of that detail in courts-martial and
courts of inquiry. In 1S49 the office of Judge Advocate of the Army of the
United States, with the rank of major of cavalry, was created by the act of
March 2d, and with the unanimous approval of his brother officers, he was
appointed to fill that ottice. The important and delicate duties thus con-
fided to him were discharged in an exem[)lary and most accejitable manner
until July, 1S62. Only those who were conversant with military affairs
can estimate the services he thus rendered to the discipline and moral tone
of the army.
"When the civil war broke out. Major Lee was placed in a painful and
26
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402 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
delicate situation. He condemned secession unreservedly, both as a politi-
cal heresy and a blunder in statesmanship; but he could not make up his
mind to bear arms against his friends and relatives in Virginia. While he
disapproved of their views and their conduct, he could not divest himself
of some sympathy for their persons. He was, therefore, entirely out of
harmony with those who regarded any such sentiments as a crime, and by
the act of the 1 7th of July, 1S62, he was legislated out of office. He there-
upon retired from the army and has since resided in Washington City or its
neighborhood. He had a farm in Prince George's county, Md., and there
he passed all but the winter months of each year. Those he spent in Wash-
ington City with his family. He married in 1845 Miss Hill, a lady of
Prince George's county, who survives him, and of this marriage there were
five children, a daughter and four sons, who also survive. Of these sons,
the three eldest, William H. Lee, Arthur I.ee, and John F. Lee, Jr., are,
and have long been well-known and respected citizens of St. Louis.
"Maj. Lee was a man of unusual capacity, improved by extensive and
well-directed reading. His vivacity, wit, and cheerfulness rendered him a
delightful companion, and these qualities, with his elevated and generous
spirit, made him a cherished friend to all who had the privilege of friend-
ship with him. Seldom is a man of equal ability to be seen more entirely
free from ambition. He was a man of most scrupulous integrity. He
loved his family and his friends and found his happiness in their service and
society; but from all the weakness of vanity he seems to have been alto-
gether free. Like many who have been in military life until past middle
age, he considered himself unfit for civil pursuits when he left the
army. Only by an irksome effort did he imagine that he could succeed
in the attempt to form new habits of life, and as in one sense no neces-
sity existed for overcoming his aversion to these new methods the effort was
not mode.
" His departure makes in his family circle a void which is unspeakable
and irreparable. To his (isw surviving contemporaries, while it renders
their remaining days more dreary, it is at the same time a warning that he
has only by a brief interval preceded them to the silent shore. One who
has for more than fifty years known and loved him offers this tribute to his
memory.''
"St. Louis, June iS, 1SS4."
Note. — "This account is tinged by Col. Gantt's own views, but does
my dear brother great injustice through misapprehension of his opinion
and, indeed, intentions. He wrote me at the time : ' ALaryland will secede,
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 403
and I am waiting till then to resign and join her forces ; but I shall give
our people the same advic e Robert is giving the Virginiaiis, to act wholly
on the defensive till such time as the Southern Army is strong enough to
mea'iure itself with the Northern.'
" And often did he dispute this point with our beloved Phill, when his
brother would tell him : 'There was no Virginia in my commission, but
only the United States.' So differently did the same subject strike minds
of equal vigor, and unselfish souls moved only by the highest considerations
of honor and patriotism.
(Signed) "Frances Lee Pettit."
John Fitzgerald and Eleanor Ann (Hill) Lee had five children :
i, William Hill'. See 67.
ii, Arthur', born the ist of June, 1S47 ; is unmarried ; practices law at
St. Louis.
iii, John Fitzgerald', born the 29th of June, 1S48; is unmarried; prac-
tices law at St. Louis, being in partnership with his brother.
iv, Annl', born the 24th of April. 1S51 ; was married on the Sth of
January, 1SS5, to Henry Harrison, of Leesburg ; son of Henry T,
and Elizabeth Mary (Jones) Harrison. (See 34, i; 36, i.)
V, Francis Phillips', born the Sth of May, 1856; resides at Boston; is
unmarried.
Major Henry Lee.
47. Henry ^ the eldest surviving son of Henry Lee ^ (Henry *, Henry *,
Richard', Richard^) and Matilda Lee, his first wife, was Itorn at Stratford,
Westmoreland county, the 2Sth of May, 17S7; died at Paris, France, on
the 30th of Tanua'-y, 1S37 ; married, about 30th of March, 1817, Anne R.,
daughter of r^aniel McCarty, of Wcstnioreland county;^ he graduated at
William and Mary College in iSoS ; was api)ointed INLijor of the 36th Regi-
ment by President Madison the Sth of April, 1813 ; served on the Cana-
dian frontier on the staff of General Jauics ^Vi]kinson, and later on that of
General George Izard. " Oii his return from Canada he met in New York
Lord Jeffrey, the ' Edinburgh ' reviewer, and both men were much sought
after in society on account of their brilliant conversational powers."
Major Lee was an ardent and influential supporter of General Jackson in
his canvass for the Presidency, in whose behalf he wrote several essays, and
was rewarded with the appointment of Consul to Algiers, liut, as his ap-
1 .\r.ne R. McCarty made a marriage contract on the 29th of March, iSi;, with Henry Lee, Jr. The
contract mentions that Anne and Elizabeth were co-heirs of their father, Daniel McCarty. (Weitmore-
lacj records.)
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404 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
pointment was rejected by the Senate, Major Lee left Algiers after a short
residence and travelled through Italy on his way to Paris. "While on this
trip he met " ^^tadauie Mere," the mother of Xapoleon, for whom he enter-
tained an extravagant admiration, as shown in the following note to Madame
Bonaparte ; . , . , ,.-'
''Ronr.e, 2d April, 1830. As I feel the most profound respect for
Madame, the Mother of Napoleon, that one being can entertain for another,
I beg leave to offer for her acceptance the inclosed autograph letter from
Gen'l Washington to my Father, considering this precious memorial of the
American hero and patriot well bestowed in being placed in the hands of a
lady great in lier own character and illustrious in her offspring ; especially
in having given birth to the greatest warrior and the most generous con-
queror and friend that ever existed."
Beside.-^ his review of Jefferson's writings, Major Lee began, while
residing at Paris, a history of Napoleon's Italian campaign, but completed
only one voliuue, which v/as published after his death.
Charles Carter Lee.
4S. Ch.-vRLES Carter^, the second son of Henry Lee^ (Menry*,
Henry*, Richard", Richard^) and Anne Hill Carter, his second wife, was
born at Stratford, V/estmoreland county, on the Sth of November, 179S;
he died the 21st of March, 1S71, and was buried at his home, "Windsor
Forest," in Powhatan county. Carter Lee entered Harvard College in
1 81 6, and graduated second in his class in 1S19 ; he possessed a mind of a
very superior order, had a thorough classical education, a most retentive
memory, and a keen v.-it. Being an omnivorous reader, a brilliant conver-
sationalist, his society was most entertaining, and in consequence he was
greatly sought after at all social gatherings. He was a lawyer by profession
and practiced first at Washington City, then in Floyd county, Va., next in
Mississippi, where he resided for several years; later he removed to Hardy
county, and finally settled in Powhatan. Some verses of his, known as
the Virginia Gforgics, written for the "Hole and Corner Club of Pow-
hatan," were published by the club in 1858.
Mr. Lee was married, on the 13th of May, 1847, to Lucy Penn,
daughter of George Taylor, of "Horn Quarter," King William county,
and Catharine Randolph, his wife. George Taylor was of the sanie family
as President Taylor. The first of this family to settle in Virginia was James
Taylor, who came from Carlisle, England, and settled on the shores of th.e
Chesapeake in 16 — . By his second wife, Mary Gregory, James Taylor
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION". 405
liad three daughters and two sons. John, his youngest child, married
C'aiharine Pendleton, and had ten children ; of these, James Taylor married
.\nn Pollard, and was the father of the well-known Hon. John Taylor, of
Caroline. The Hon. John Taylor married his cousin, Lucy, daughter of
John Penn (the Signer of the Declaration of Independence from North
Carolina), who was born in Caroline county, Virginia, and ^^as the only
son of Moses Penn and Caroline Taylor, his wife ; she was a daughter of
the John Taylor and Catharine Pendleton above mentioned. George
Taylor was the second son of the Hon. John Taylor. The first Taylor, in
Virginia, ?iad by his first v.-ife a son, James, who married Martlia Thompson,
and had nine children ; among these was a son, Zachary Taylor, who mar-
ried Elizabeth, daughter of Hancock Lee by his second wife, Sarah Aller-
ton J from this union came the father of President Taylor. A further no-
tice of the Taylors is given under Hancock Lee ^
Charles Carter and Lucy Penn (Taylor) had the following named chil-
dren :
i, George Taylor''. See 68.
ii, Henry '. See 69.
iii, Robert Randolph \ See 70.
iv, Willl\M5 Carter', born the Sth of September, 1S52 ; died, unmar-
ried, on the 2ist of June, 1SS2. A life of promise suddenly cut oft'by
a railroad accident.
V, Mildred", born on the 20th of November, 1857; was married, on
the 4th of February, 1SS8, to Dr. John Taylor Francis, who died
, leaving one daughter, Mildred Lee Francis. Dr. Francis grad-
uated in 18S3 at the Medical School of the University of New Vork,
and practiced his profession at Norfolk.
vi, Catharine Randolph", born the 27th of August, 1S65 ; v,-as married,
on the loth of July, 1S92, to Dr. John Guerrant, of Franklin comity,
and has a daughter, Elizabeth Moore Guerrant.
vii, John Penn", born nth of September, 1S67, is a lawyer by profession,
being a member of the firm of Diilard l^ Lee, of Rocky Blount, Va.
Mr. Lee is tne fortunate possessor of the old family portraits of the
first three generations in "\'irginia; Colonel Richard and his v.ife; Richard,
Jr., and his wife, and Thomas, of Stratford and his wife. He kindly
allowed them to be photographed for use in this volume.
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4o6
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
THE RANDOLPH FAMILY.
Arms: Gules, on a cross or, five mullets of the field.
Crest : Au antelope's head erased or, in its mouth a baton.
Of the many distinguished families of Virginia, perhaps none has pro-
duced more men of marked and brilh'ant abilities than that of Randolph.
They are descended from William Randolph, of " Turkey Island," who was
a member of the House of Burgesses,
of the Council, and a person of great
influence in the Colony ; he was born
in Yorkshire, England, in the year
1 65 1, and came to Virginia about
1674; married, aiiout — i-(SS«y Mary,
the daughter of Henry Isham, of Ber-
muda Hundred, James River. Col.
Randolph died the loth of x\pril,
1 711, leaving seven sons and two
daughters. Erom these sons a very
numerous family has descended, of
whom only a brief outline can be
given in this connection. Of the two
daughters, Elizabeth married Richard
Bland, and v.'as the mother of Mary Bland, who married Henry Lee, of
"Lee Hall," Westmoreland; the other daughter, Mary Randoli)h,(^marricd Jo^'^i
'fa/iicirt-William Stith,'^and was the mother of William Stith, the early historian of
I Virginia, and once President of William and iSIary College. From thc+tve
-old** sons are descended the later Randolphs of Virginia: ->\-Jn^,^m.i \ic^<=n*i>
I i, William, of "Turkey Island," also known as "Councillor Ran-
! dolph," married Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Beverley, of Gloucester,
j and Eliza Peyton, his wife, and had issue: Beverley, Peter, William,
and Elizabeth. Of these, Peter (i 708-1 76S) married Lucy, daughter
of Robert Boiling, settled at " Chatsworth," Henrico county,
and had issue: William, Beverley, Robert, and Anne, who married
William Fitzhugh, of " Chatham," and were the parents of Mary Lee
Fitzhugh, who married George Washington Parke Custis, of Arlington.
The third son, William, also of "Wilton," married Anne, eldest
daughter of Benjamin and Anne (Carter) Harrison, and had five chil-
dren, among them Pe)ton (second of the name), who married his first
cousin, Lucy Harrison, a daughter of Governor Benjamin Harrison,
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 407
the Signer, and Elizabeth Bassett, his wife ; their daughter, Catharine
Randolph, married George Taylor, whose daughter, Lucy Penn Taylor,
married Charles Carter Lee, as stated. Mrs. Lee was descended from
two Signers of the Declaration of Independence — John Penn and Ben-
jamin Harrison, while her husband was related to two others.
ii, Thomas, of " Tuckahoe," the seebftd- son, married (?f4i5H5amJ JudithTlcinin^;
ChurclnH-, and had one son and two daughters ; the youngest daugh-
ter, Mary, marrieovV-mtrtrn Keith, from which union came the mother
of the great Chief Justice, John ^La^shall. The son, William Ran-
dolph, married Maryi -J^ditjv, daughter of the Hon. Mann Page, of
"Rosewell;" they were the grandparents of Thomas Mann Ran-
dolph, Governor of Virginia, 1819-21, who married Martha, daughter
of Thomas Jefferson, of "Monticello," and has a large number of de-
scendants.
iii, IsHAM, of " Dungeness," was the third son of the immigrant; he
married Jane Rogers, of London, and had a daughter, Jane, who mar-
ried (173S) Peter Jefferson, and was the mother of President Thomas
Jefferson, of " Monticello ;" another daughter, Susannah, married,
about 1777, Carter Harrison, the ancestor of the late mayor of
Chicago. ^m
iv. Sir John was the 40-11:^ son of the immigrant 3 he was born in 1693, •
and died on the 15th of March, i7'5,7 ^ married Susannah, a daughter
of Peter Beverle}-, of Gloucester county, and had: Beverley, Peyton,
and John. Sir John was educated abroad, studied law at Gray's Inn ;
was later the Speaker of the House of Burgesses. His son, Peyton,
one of the most prominent patriots of the Revolution, was born at
"Tazewell Hall," near Williamsburg, in 1721, and died at Philadel-
phia, while attending Congress, on the 2 2d of October, 1775 ; he had
been educated at William and Mary, studied law at the Inner Tem[)le,
London, and was appointed Attorney-General for Virginia in 174S;
was chairman of the committee of correspondence for Virginia ; pre-
sided over the Convention of 1774; was elected to the first Conti-
nental Congress, which met that year, and was chosen its presiding
officer; had been Si>eaker of the House of Burgesses. He married
Elizabeth Harrison, second daughter of Pienjamin and Anne (Carter)
Harrison, but had no children. His brother, John Randolph,;.suc-
ceeded him in the oftice of attorney-general ; he was also educated at
William and Mary ; was a lawyer of great ability ; he espoused the
cause of England against the colonies and went to England to live,
where he died ; he married Ariana, a daughter of Edmund Jenings, of
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408 LEE OF VIRGINIA. "'
Annapolis, Md., and at one time attornoy general foi llul provtTR::^;
his son, Edniund Randolph, was the first Attorney-General of tl-iC
United States, and also Governor of Virginia ; he married Elizabeth,
a daughter of Robert Carter Nicholas, and left issue.
V, Richard, o{ "Curl's Neck," the fifth son of the immigrant to lea\e
issue in Virginia, married Jane, a daughter of John Boiling, and Mary
Kennon, his wife ; Jane Boiling was fourth in descent from Pocahontas.
Richard Randolph had : Richard, Mary, Jane, and John. Of the-e
John married Frances, daughter of Theodorick Bland, and was the
father of the celebrated John Randolph of "Roanoke." The latter
was born on the 3d of June, 1773, and died, unmarried, at Philadel-
phia, on t!^e 24th of May, 1833. His remains were interred at Holly-
wood Cemetery, Richmond.
Captain Svdnev Smith Lee.
49. SvDNEY Smith ^ third son of Henry Lee ' (Henry \ Henry ', Rich-
ard*, Richard ^) and Anne Hill Carter, his second wife, was born the 2d of
September, 1802, at Camden, New Jersey, where his mother happened to be
visiting a friend; he died on the 22d of July, 1869. L'pon graduating
at the naval academy, he v/as appointed a midshipman, 30th of December,
1820; promoted lieutenant, 17th of Ma}-, 1S2S; a commander on 4th oi
June, 1850, and resig?ied^ on the 28th of April, 1861, to enter the service
of the Confederate States.
A daugliter of General Robert E. Lee has thus written of him : ' •' No
one who ever saw him can forget his beautiful face, charming personality,
and grace of manner, which, joined to a nobility of character and goodness
of heart, attracted all who came into contact with him, and made him the
most generally beloved and popular of ir.en. This was especially so with
regard to vv'omen, to whom his conduct was that of a preux chevalier, the
most chivalric and courteous; and, having no daughters of his own, he
turned with the tenderest affection to the daughters of his brother Robert.
His public service of more than thirty years in the navy of the L'nited
States is well known. He entered it as a boy of fifteen, and taithfully
served his country by land and sea in many climes and on many oceans.
He was in Japan with Commodore Perry, commanding his flagship, when
that inaccessible country was practically opened to the commerce of the
1 The official record states that he was " dismissed " from tl-.e service, thus intending to imply d^s^rrice.
As no cfficer of the army or na-.^ can be dis.iiissed excepting upon the proper judgment of a court-martial,
this record is simply an exhibition of petty malice.
^ General Lee , by Fitihu-h Lee, pp. i3, lo.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATIOK. 409
world. He was Commandant of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and
afterward in command of the navy yard at Philadelphia. When the war
of secession began he was stationed at Washington, but when Virginia
seceded he did not hesitate to abandon the comforts and security of the
present and ambitions of the future, and cast his lot with his native State
in a war in which, from the very nature of things, there could be but little
hope for a naval oiiicer. Uninfluenced, then, by hope of either fame or
fortune, he sadly parted with the friends and comrades of a lifetime, includ-
ing General Scott, who had been likewise devoted to him as he was to his
brother, and for four years served the Southern Confederacy with the same
ardor and energy and unselfishness that he had previously given to the
whole coiftitry. When the end came he accepted the situation with charac-
teristic resignation and fortitude."
During the Mexican war, Sydney Smith met his brother, Robert, at
Vera Cruz ; in a letter home, the soldier told of his work in placing a bat-
tery in position, and added: ''The first day this battery opened, Smith
served one of the guns. I had constructed the battery, and was there to
direct its fire. No matter where I turned, my eyes reverted to him, and I
stood by his gun whenever I was not wanted elsewhere. Oh ! I felt awfully,
and am at a loss what I should have done, had he been cut down before
me. I thank God that he was saved. He preserved his usual cheerfulness,
and I could see his white teeth through all the smoke and din of the fire.
I had placed three 32 and three 6S-pound guns in position. . . . Their
fire was terrific, and the shells thrown from our battery were constant and
regular discharges, so beautiful in their flight and so destructive in their fall.
It was awful I My heart bled for the inhabitants. The soldiers I did not
care so much for, but it was terrible to think of the women and children.
... I heard from Smith to-day; he is quite well, and recovered from his
fatigue." '
Sydney Smith Lee was married in 1S34 to Anna Maria, daughter of
the Hon. John and Anna Maria (Murray) Mason, of " Clermont," Fairfax
county. She was born the 26th of February, iSii, and still survives. Of
the wedding General Long has given this bit of information :^ "Lieuten-
ant Sydney Smith Lee married Miss Mason in old Christ Church at Alexan-
dria. The party were first entertained at General John Mason's house at
Clermont. 'I'hey then went to Arlington, where the festivities were contin-
ued. Lieutenant Robert Lee and his friends took part in this old Mrginia
' Gittfral Lee, by Fitrhugh Lee, p. 36.
' Memoirs cf General Robert E. Lee, by General A. L. Long, p. 38.
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4IO LEE OF VIRGINIA. , tit
frolic. Seven young men were bivouacked in one room at Arlington.
Captain Canfield, one of the number, made much fun for the party. In
the morning the negro servant made so much noise on the bare floor, bring-
ing wood and making fires, that Canfield called out, ' Moses, whv not
come up on a pony?' At this point Mr. Custis threw wide open the door
and called out, ' Sleep no more; Macbeth hath murdered sleep.' Everv
night, before the party retired, punch was bounteously dispensed from a
punch-bowl which had belonged to General Washington. In the bottom
of the bowl was a painting of a ship, the hull resting on the bottom, the
mast projecting to the brim. The rule was to drink down to the hull — a
rule strictly observed. As this bowl has a history, it may be stated that it
was presented to General Washington by Colonel Fitzhugh, a former aide-
de-camp, who afterward left Virginia and settled in the Genesee Valley, in
Western New York."
Captain Sydney Smith and Anna Maria (Mason) Lee had seven chil-
dren, all sons excepting one daughter, who died in infancy. They were :
i, Fitzhugh ^ See 71.
ii, Sydney Smith ^ born at Georgetown, D. C, the loth of February,
1837 ; died the 15th of April, 18SS. Was in the navy ; served on the
Confederate cruiser "Shenandoah" under Captain Waddell. He
never niarried.
iii, John Mason". See 72.
iv, Henry Carter". See 73.
V, Daniel Murray ^ See 74. ' ,
vi, Robert Carter^; was born at '-'Clermont," Fairfax county, the 17th
of November, 1S4S; is still living and unmarried.
vii, Elizabeth Mason", was born at " Clermont," Fairfex county, on the
17th of February, 1S53, and died at the age of seven mouths.
THE MASON FAMILY.
Anus: Azure, a point with three einbatdeiuents, argent, chaiged with Tieur-de-Iis, gules,
on the middle battlement a dove with wings displayed, ppr.
Crest: A talbot passant, regardant, arg., eared sa., holding in his mouth a hart's
horn, or.
Motto: Pro Fatria Semper.' ; ■
Colonel George Mason, the great-grandfather of the celebrated patriot
and statesman of the Revolution and the first of that name in Virginia, is
1 These arms are those of the Masons cf Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, and were those
used by the Virginia family. After the Revolution George Mason changed the motto to " Pro Rcpublica
Semper."
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 411
said to have commanded a troop of horse at the battle of Worcester, and
after that disa.strous defeat of the royalists to liave emigrated, as did so
many of his party, to Virginia. His arrival has been placed in the year
165 1, and very promptly does he appear, from even the meagre records
left, to liave taken a proiniiieni jjart in the civil and n:!i]itary affairs of the
Colony. Especially as a ''great Indian fighter" was he known, and his
son after him. He was a Burgess and also Sheriff for Stafford. At his
death in 1686 he left a son, George Mason, also a Justice, Sheriff, and Bur-
gess, who by his first wife. Mary, the daughter of Col. Gerard Fowke, an
intimate friend of the elder Mason, had George Mason (1690-1735), who,
like his father and grandfather, was an influential man, and took an active
part in county aitd colonial affairs. By his second wife, Anna, daughter
of Stevens Thomson, the latter had the patriot, George Mason, of " Gun-
ston Hall," Fairfax county, a near neighl^or to " Bclvoir " and Mt. Vernon.
' ''George Mason, Esq., statesman and planter of ' Gunston Hall,' Fair-
fax county,'Va., was born in 1725 on his father's estate situated in ' Dogiie's
Neck,' known also as 'Mason's Neck,' then in StatTord county, and died
at his residence, 'Gunston Hall,' October 7, 1792. His education, which
was good, was mainly received at home from private tutors. He was twice
married; first, /\pril, 1750, to Ann, daughter of Col, William Eilbeck, of
Charles county, Md., by whom he had live sons and four daughters ; second,
to Sarah, daughter of George Brent, of ' ^Voodstock,' \'a. Shortly after his
marriage he built ' Gunston Hall ' on his paternal landed inheritance. He
took an active and interested part in church affairs, and in 1765 was elected,-
together with George Washington, a vestryman of Pohick Church. He
was a man of good habits, strong mind, retentive memory, and strict atten-
tion to business, with a special aptness for system and the formulation of
legal documents and bills tor enactmcat of laws. In 1769 lie drew up tlie
non-importation resolutions which were presented by Washington in the
^'il■ginia Assembly and which were un.mimously r.dopted. One of these
pledged the Virginia planters to purcliase no slaves brought into the country
after November i of that year. In support of the rights of Virginia, ]\Ir.
Mason printed a pamphlet with the title 'Extracts from the Virginia Char-
ter, with some reuiarks upon them.' At a meeting of the people of Fairfax
count}-, July iS, 1774, presided over by George AVashington, he presented
a series of twenty-four resolutions reviewing the whole ground of contro-
versy between Great Britain and the Colonies, recommending a congress of
all the Colonies and urging non-intercourse with tlie mother country.
Later the same principles were fully affirmed by the Continental Congress.
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412 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
He declined a seat in Congress but served on the Committee of Safety,
which was charged with the executive government of Virginia. In 1776
he drafted the famous bill of rights and also the Constitution of Virginia.
Madison said that Mason was the ablest debater he had ever heard. In
1777 he was elected to Congress, but declined. Ten years later he was a
member of the committee that drafted the Constitution of the United States,
but did not sign it because, as he said, it endangered the sovereignty of the
States. He was also a member of the Convention of the State which adopted
the Constitution, and again opposed its adoption. He was elected the first
United States Senator from Virginia, but declined. He was referred to by
Thomas Jefferson as a man of the first order of wisdom. Certainly George
Mason deserves to be remembered as one of the purest of .patriots and wisest
of statesmen." •
Of his children, General John Mason, a son, married Anna Maria
Murray, of Maryland, and was the father of the Hon. James Murray Mason,
U. S. Senator, and later Confederate Commissioner with John Slidell to
England. General John Mason had also Sarah, who married General Sam-
uel Cooper, and .\nna Maria, who married Sydney Smith Lee, as stated,
and who still survives.
A very interesting life of George Mason has recently been written by
Miss Kate Mason Rowland, of Baltimore.
General Lee.
50. RoLERT ErAVARD'"', the fourth son of Henry Lee^ (Henry*,
Henry', Richard-, Richard^) and Anne Hill Carter, his second wife, was
born at Stratford, Wesimoreland county, the 19th of January, 1S07, and
died, at his home in Lexington, the 12th of October, 1S70. When Robert
Lee was about four years old, his father removed with his family to Alex-
andria, where they lived, first, on Cameron street near old Christ Church,
next on Orinoco street, and, lastly, in the house on north Washington
street now used as the parsonage of Chri.st Church. When only eleven
years old he lost his father, who, prior to his death, had been absent from,
home for several years, so Robert Lee was reared almost entirely under the
watchful and loving care of his mother. It is said she taught him, from
his earlies: childhood, to '-'practise self-denial and self-control, as well as
the strictest economy in all financial concerns," traits which he ever ex-
hibited throughout life.
Miss Emily V. Mason, in her Popular Life of General Lee. tells this
of his loving care for his mother : '•' This good mother was a great invalid ;
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 4X3
one of his sisters was delicate, and many years absent in Philadelphia,
under the care of physicians. The eldest son, Carter, was at Cambridge,
Sydney Smith in the navy, and the other sister too young to be of much
aid in household matters. So Robert was the housekeeper, carried the
ke}'s, attended to tJK- marketing, managed all of the out-door business, and
took care of his mother's horses.
"At the hour when other school-boys went to play, he hurried home
to order his mother's drive, and would there be seen carrying her in his
arms to the carriage, and arranging her cushions with the gentleness of an
experienced nurse. One of his relatives, who was often the companion of
these drives, still lives. She tells us of the exertions he would make on
these occasions to entertain and amuse his mother, assuring her, with the
gravity of an old man, that unless she was cheerful the drive would not
benefit her. When she complained of cold or ' draughts,' he would pull
from his pocket a great jack-knife and newspapers, and make her laugh
with his efforts to improvise curtains, and shut out the intrusive wind,
which whistled through the crevices of the old family coach.
"When he left her to go to West Point, his mother was heard to say:
' How can I live without Robert ? He is both son and daughter to me.'
" Years after, when he came home from West Point, he found one of
the chief actors of his childhood's drama — his mother's old coachman,
* Nat ' — ill, and threatened with consumption. He immediately took him
to the milder climate of Georgia, nursed him with the tenderness of a son,
and secured him the best medical advice. But the spring-time saw the
faithful old servant laid in the grave by the hands of his kind young
master."
Robert Lee was educated at private schools in Alexandria, and pre-
pared for entrance into the military school at West Point, for from earliest
youth he seem.s to have desired to enter the army. His first teacher was
Mr. William B. Leary, an Irishman, who lived to meet his pujnl after the
war. Next, he went to the once famous mathemaiical school kept by Ben-
jamin Haliowell ; of his school days, Mr. Hallowell has left this memoran-
dum: .
"Robert E. Lee entered my school in Alexandria, Va., in the winter
of 1S24-25, to study mathematics, preparatory to his going to West Point.
He was a most exemplary student in every respect. He was never behind
time at his studies, ne\er failed in a single recitation, was perfectly observ-
ant of the rules and regulations of the institution ; was gentlemanly, unob-
trusive, and respectful in all his deportment to teachers and fellow-students.
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414 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
His specialty was finishing up. He imparted a neatness and finish to
everytliing he undertook. One of the branches of mathematics he studied
with me was conic sections, in which some of the diagrams were very com-
plicated. He drew the diagrams on a slate, and although he well knew
that the one he was drawing would have to lie removed to make room for
the next, he drew each one with as much accuracy and finish, lettering and
all, as if it were to be engraved and printed. The same traits he exhibited
at my school he carried with him to West Point, where, I have been told,
he never received a mark of demerit, and graduated at the head of his
class."
General Lee entered West Point in 1825, and graduated, second (not
first, as frequently stated) in his class, in 1S29. He received an appoint-
ment as second lieutenant in the corps of military engineers ; in 1S35, he
served upon a commission for settling the boundary lines between Ohio and
Michigan; was made first lieutenant in 1S36, and captain in 1S3S. In
1S46, he was appointed chief engineer on the staff of General Wool, in
Mexico, and the next year was brevetted major for gallantry at the battle of
Cerro Gordo, and, for services at Contreras and Churubusco, was brevetted
lieutenant-colonel in 1S47. At the battle of Chapultepec he was wounded
and brevetted colonel. After this war was over, he was appointed superin-
tendent of the Military .Academy at West Point, and filled this position from
1852 to 1355. In 1S5S, he was with Albert Sydney Johnston, fighting the
Indians in Texas. His last service in the " old army " was the capture of
John Brown and his band, at Harper's Ferry, at the close of 1859.
It is useless and unnecessary to describe in this connection the military
life of General Lee during the thirty years he served in the United States
army ; it is sufficient to say that every duty was fulfilled with scrupulous
fidelity, and tiiat he rose steadily from grade to grade, rewarded at each
promotion by the encomiums of his superior ofiicers. General Scott enter-
tained the great'^st admiration for him as a man and a soldier. A gentle-
man has stated^ that he had frequently heard him speak " in the very high-
est terms of Robert E. Lee as a soldier and Christian gentleman, but that
on one occasion, when in the course of a confidential interview, he asked
the direct question : ' General, v/hom do you regard as the greatest living
soldier?' Without hesitation, and with marked emphasis, General Scott
replied : ' Colonel Robert E. Lee is not only the greatest soldier of
America, but the greatest soldier now living in the world. This is my de-
"^ReminisctKCii of General Rohfrt E. /.!•«•, by Rev. J. Wil'.iam Jones, p. 482. From^this interesting
volume, many of Gr.nerul Ltc's letters, given in this sketch, have been taken.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 415
liberate conviction, from a full knowledge of his extraordinary abilities,
and, if the occ.ision ever arises, Lee will win this place in the estimation of
the whole world.' The general then went into a detailed sketch of Lee's
services, and a statement of his ability as an engineer, and his capacity not
only to plan campaigns, but -also to command large armies in the field, and
concluded by saying: ^ 1 tell you, sir, Robert E. Lee is the greatest soldier
naiv living, and if he ever gets the opportunity lie will prove himself the great
captain of history. ' ' '
General Lee took no part in the political discussions which agitated
the country prior to the outbreak of hostilities between the States. He was
opposed to secession, but promptly resigned from the old army when it be-
came a question as to whether he sliould fight for or against his native State.
On that issue, he had no doubts. Consequently, upon the secession of
Virginia, and the firing upon Fort Sumter, he handed in his resignation,
and offered his sword to defend his native Virginia. His father before
him, ardent Federalist as he wivs, had said : " Virginia is my country ; her
will I obey, however lanientable the fate to which it niay subject me."
Again, tins father had declared that "no consideration on earth could in-
duce me to act a part, however gratifying to me, which could be construed
into disregard or faithlessness to this Commonwealth." The son therefore
acted in strict accordance with the principles of the father, which, it would
be safe to say, had been shared by the majority of the patriots of the Revo-
lution.
When testifying before a committee of Congress, after the war, Gen-
eral Lee stated ihat he had resigned because he believed that " the act of
Virginia in withdrawing herself from the United States carried me along
with it as a citizen of Mrginia, and that her laws and acts were binding
upon me." Though his own duty in this crisis was clearly marked out for
him in his own conscience, he never souyht to decide for others, not even
for his own son. In writing to his wife from Richmond, under date of the
13th of Ma)', 1S61, he wrote: '• . . . Tell Curtis he must consult his
own judgment, reason, and conscience as to the course he may take. I do
not wish him to be guided by my wishes or example. If I have done
wrong, let him do better. The {present is a momentous question, which
every man must settle for himself and upon principle."
In a letter to the Hon. Reverdy Johnson, under date of 25th Febru-
ary, 186S, General Lee stated clearly his position and his sentiments, which
led him to resign from the army and to refuse the most tempting oilers. He
used these words :
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4l6 LF.E OF VIRGINIA.
"I never intimated to any one that I desired the command of the
United States army, nor did I ever have a conver.sation with but one gen-
tleman, Mr. Francis Preston Elair, on the subject, -which was at his invita-
tion, and, as I understood, at the instance of the President. After listen-
ing to his remarks L declined the offer he made me to take command of the
army that was to be brought into the field, stating, as candidly and as cour-
teously as I could, tiiat, though opiioscd to secession and deprecating war,
I could take no part in an invasion of the Southern States.
'' I went directly from the interview with Mr. P>lair to the office of
General Scott — told liiui of the proposition that had been made to me and
my decision. Upon reflection after returning home, I concluded that I
ought no longer to retain any commission I held in the United States army,
and on the second morning thereafter I forwarded my resignation to Gen-
eral Scott." This latter was as follows :
" Arlington, Va., r'cth April, lS6l. General, — Since my interview with you on the iSth
inst., I have felt that I ouc;hl no longer to retain my commission in the army. I therefore
tender my re?ignatiori, which I request you will recommend for accepiance. It would have
been presented at once, !'ut for the struggle il has cost me to separate myself from a service
to which I have devoted all the best years of my life, and all the ability I possessed. During
the whole of that time, more than a quarter of a century, I have experienced nothing but
kindness from my superiors, and the most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no
one, General, have I beer, as much indebted as to yoiuself for uniform kindness and consid-
eration ; and it has always been my ardent desire to merit your approbation. I shall carry
to the gr.-'.ve the most grateful recollection, of your kind consideration, and your name and
fame will always be de.ir to me. Save in the defense of my native State, I never desire
again to draw my sword. Be pleased to accept my most earnest wi-hes for the continuance
of your happiness and piosperity, and believe me most truly yours," &c.
"To Lieut-General Winfield Scott, Commanding U. S. Array."
In casting his lot with his native State General Lee acted with full con-
sciousness of the gravity of the crisis. He entertained no illusions, such as
some on each side professed to hold, that the war would be brief and of
little importance ; nor did he believe tiiat a civil war could be avoided.
Wri ling to his wife from Richmond, under date of 13th May, 1S61, he
warn^-'d her : *' Do not put faith in rumors of adjustment. I see no pros-
pect for it. It cannot be while tlie passions on both sides are so infuriated.
Make your plans for several years of war." At another time he said:
"... Both sides forget that we are all Americans, and that it must be a
terrible struggle if it conies to war."
The following correspondence has never been published. It is very
intere.sting. Dr. May was a Pennsylvanian by birth, but had been many
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 417
year-^ a professor of the Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in
Virginia, situated near Alexandria:
"Alexandria, 23d April, 1S61. My dear Robert, — The inclosed let-
ter was written to me, as you will see, in consequence of a remark I made
to Dr. Sparrow, which he reported to the writer, Dr. May. that I hoped
your connection with the Virginia forces, if you concluded to accept
the command, might lead to some peaceful settlement of our difficulties. I
hoped this from the friendship between yourself and General Scott. I have
only time now to i]iclose you Dr. May's letter, and to offer my earnest
prayer that God may make you instiumental in saving our land from this
dreadful strife. In haste. Yours trul\-, Cassius F. Lee."
''Col. Lee."
"Theological Seminary of Va., 22d April, 1861. Mydear Sir, — lam
sure of your sympathy with me in the motive of what I now write, even
though you may think me presumptuous and lacking in judgment. Two
considerations prompt nie ; one, an Editorial in the National Intelligencer
of to-day, placed by your.self in Dr. Sparrow's hands and read by him to
me a few minutes ago. the other a suggestion that Col. Lee, now to be put
in command of the "\'irginia troops, might, by God's blessing, bring peace
to our distracted country. O, how my heart leaped at the thought ! How
many thousands, yea millions, would rise up to bless the man that should
bring this to pass !
" I may be stepping out of my line in offering a word on the subject.
But my heart is full, and I know you at least are willing to give me your
attention. Who knows but that your cousin may be raised up by God for
such a time as this? Could he bring about, at least, an armistice, prepara-
tory to a National Assembly for a peaceful settlement of our troubles, how
man)' hearts would lie relieve and how large his share in the blessedness of
peacemakers ! I do not enter into the political considerations of the mat-
ter. That is not my province. It may suffice to say that, so far as be-
came me, whether in the North or in the South, I always gave my opinion
against the organization and the proposed measures of the party now con-
trolling the General Administration. I always held that organization to
be not only needless, but mischievous. When it became so sectionally
dominant, I hoped still that the more thoughtful members of it would shape
its course. They seem to have been overborne. The unfortunate Procla-
mation of the President, and the measures which were its immediate
antecedents, have utterly disappointed me and saddened me. But as I
said, I do not enter into the political aspect of the great question now
27
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4l8 LEE OF VIRGINIA. '" '^
before us. I would regard it as a Christian should and especially a Christian
minister.
"My feeble voice I lift for peace. I have often turned my thoughts
to Col. Lee. The u'orld kno\ss his services in the Mexican war. Years
ago I asked my brother-in-law, Major A. H. Bowman (now of West Point),
what army officers thought of him as a soldier? I remember well his em-
phatic answer. If those who were with him (Col. Lee) in Mexico should
answer, they would unanimously declare him to be, in all military qualifica-
tions, without a rival in the service. But my interest in him \\as quick-
ened by hearing of his Christian character. During his absence in Mexico
I visited his family at Arlington, and heard from Mr5. Lee allusions to his
private letters. I received then my opinion of him as a Christian, and
have had my eye on him ever since. May we not hope that God has put
him in his present position to be an instrument of abating the storm v/hich
now threatens shipwreck to the whole country? It is sad that so few of
our public men are Christians. Col. Lee is a grand exception. I know,
in an official post, which is not that of head of the government, he would
find it difficult to follow the private promptings of his own Christian mind,
for a soldier's business is not to advise his superiors, but to obey. But
great respect would be shown to the judgment and Christian spirit of one
so distinguished as he. Virginia gave us our original Independence through
her V.'ashington. She gave us our National Constitution through Jeffer-
son, Madison and others. Can she not now, while we are threatened with
the immeasurable evils of civil war, give us through Col. Lee peace? In com-
mon with other States, she may justly complain of wrongs. But will civil
war repair them? Christianity teaches not only the duty, but the wisdom
of patience and forgiveness. Virginia, from her geographical position,
from her glorious share in the past and from her great political weight, has
it in her power (am I pre^^umptuous in saying it?) to cnme in as a meuiacor,
rather as an umpire and settle the question, not only for the happiness of
the whole country, but for her own special prosperity. Should Col. Lee be
a leader in this matter and place his native State in this grand position
(which I must think she can hold), he v/ill have an honor never reached by
Napoleon or Wellington. If Virginia may not call back the people of tlie
continent to union, she yet may to peace. Standing apart from others,
she would not, could not be invaded. She could be a healer or a peace-
maker, and have all the blessedness of such an office. The wisdom ot
seniors has not been allowed its part in our great questions. Young, im-
petuous spirits seem to I)e leading the mind of the country. Especially has
not the Christian mind, the Church, been heard. Its voice must be tor
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 4I9
peace. Our sins may be too great to allow us to have again the blessed-
ness of a united country, but may we not have peace? Is there not moral
power in the Christian mind of the country to stay the hand of fraternal
strife? How many wives, mothers, widows, sisters, how many quiet, peace-
ful citizens of all classes, sigh for peace? How many families, now sepa-
rated by wide geographical distances, would be divided in a way far more
j-ainful and dreadful by civil war? No quiet citizen, no Cliristian, can
think of it without a fainting heart. During the civil wars of England, in
the times of the Commonwealth, Lord Falkland was known in all Britain
as one of the bravest men ever horn in that land. After he had seen the
indescribable wretchedness of the people of his native country in the strife
of brothers, he would sit abstracted among his friends, and, sighing t'rom
the depths of his heart, exclaim, •' Peace, Peace.' I dare not say Col. Lee
may bring us peace. The Lord can only do that. We may have so sinned
that the wrath of God must lie upon us and make us suffer the awful judg-
ment now threatening. How do all Christian sentiments, how do all the
interests of the Christian Church, how do all our interests cry for peace !
"I do not say the Gospel forbids war absolutely. Its direct, primary
call is to peace : ' Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
children of God.' From my inmost soul, I prav that in this our day of
trial, that blessedness may be enjoyed by Col. Lee. In thus writing, do I
seem to be a meddler ? lam not so in purpose and motive. Perhaps I
mistake my calling. I tliink, as a Christian and a Christian minister, I
cannot err in wishing and praying for peace. Our great national questions
cannot be settled except in time of peace. O, may that peace come now,
at the beginning, instead of the end of a fearful conflict. So praying, I am
sure of your sympathy, and subscribe myself, most sincerely your friend,
James May."
" C. F. Lee, Esqr."
"Richmond, 35 April, 1S61. My dear Cassius, — I have received
your letter of the 23d. I am sorry your nephew has left his College and
become a soldier. It is necessary that persons on my staff should have a
knowledge of their duties and experience of the wants of the service, to
enable me to attend to other matters. It would otherwise give me great
pleasure to take your nephew. I shall remember him if anything can be
done.
" I am much obliged to you for Dr. May's letter. Express to him my
gratitude for his sentiments, and tell him that no earthly act would give me
so much pleasure, as to restore peace to my country. But I fear it is now
a
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420 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
out of the power of man, and in God alone must be our trust. I think cur
policy should be purely on the defensive. To resist aggression and allow
time to allay the passions and reason to resume her sway. Virginia has
to-day, I understand, joined the Confederate States. Her policy will
doubtless therefore be shaped by united counsels. I cannot say what
it will be. But trust that a merciful Providence will not turn his face
entirely from us and dash us from the height to which his smiles had
raised us.
" I wanted to say many things to you before I left home. But the
event was rendered so imperatively speedy that I could not. May God
preserve you and yours. Very truly, R. E. Lee."
So, failing to secure peace, General Lee prepared for war with all the
ability he possessed. How well he served his State, it is not necessary to
describe in a sketch of this nature ; as Dr. Field has said, " The v/orld knows
it by heart."
Colonel Chesney, of the F^ngli.sh army, believes: "The day will come
when the evil passions of the great civil war will sleep in oblivion, and the
North and South do justice to each other's motives, and forget each other's
wrongs. Then history will speak with clear voice of the deeds done on
eitiier side, and the citizens of the whole Union do justice to the memories
of the dead, and place above all others the name of the great chief of whom
we have written. In strategy, mighty ; in battle, terrible ; in adversity, as
in prosperity, a hero indeed; with the simple devotion to duty and the rare
purity of the ideal Christian knight, — he joined all the kingly qualities of a
leader of men. It is a wondrous future indeed that lies before America ;
but in her annals of the years to come, as in those of the past, there will be
found few names that can rival in unsullied lustre that of the heroic defender
of his native Virginia, — Robert Edward Lee."
Leaving Lee \\\q. general to the historian, it is the design of this brief
sketch to tell something of the peisonal characteristics of the ma?i. In
pursuance of this purpose, some {e.\\ of his letters, written in the confidence
of friendship, or with the love of the parent, are quoted, whole or in part,
as best fulfills this idea. Extracts might be taken from some of the numer-
ous and most eloquent eulogies that have been paid General Lee, since his
death, by the most gifted orators of the South. Any one of these would
furnish a complete and eloquent sketch of the man and the soldier. Vet
they might all be considered the biased opinions of personal friends, or due
to sectional pride. It seems better therefore to give the impression of a
stranger, of one not partial through friendship or sectional pride. In the
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 421
summer of 1S89, the Rev. Henry M. Field,' a Northern man, the gifted
editor of the New York Evangelist, visited Lexington, and wrote two letters
to his paper, giving fully the impression he had gathered there of General
Lee's personality from the lips of those who knew him most intimately.
Extracts from these two lettc^rs are given ; parts being omitted which are
less closely connected with General Lee. The first letter is headed :
^* The Last Years of General Lee.'' ..-.■...
" ' The last hope of the Confederacy was dead when Stonewall Jackson
was laid in his grave at Lexington !' So said the Major after he had taken
the greater part of a day in detailing to me, to my intense interest, the
marvellous career of the great soldier. But not so reasoned all those who
had fought by Jackson's side. Not so Jackson himself; for when, on hear-
ing of his wound, Lee wrote to him, ' Could I have directed events, I should
have chosen, for the good of the country, to have been disabled in your
stead,' he answered, ' No, No I Better lose twenty Jacksons than one Lee !'
And now, though Jackson was dead, Lee still lived, and hope lived with
him; victory was still possible; and in that faith, and under that leader-
ship, the Confederates fought on for two years more. (Jackson died on the
loth of May, 1863 ; but Lee did not surrender till the 9th of April, 1S65.)
How well they fought is matter of history. They fought as they could fwt
have fought, had they not been led by a great Commander.^ Some, I know,
assume to criticise the strategy shown in his campaigns. To such I have
only to say that it is a very poor compliment to oi^r leaders and our armies,
to question the abilities of one who, with less than half the numbers, kept
back for two years the tremendous forces of the North that were pressing in
on every side. Whatever others may say of General Lee, the great soldiers
who fought against him fully concede his splendid military genius. But it
is not the purpose of this letter to speak of his military career.
" That belongs to history. ' The world knows it by heart.' But there
iThe Rev. Dr. Henry Martyn Field, the writer iiere quoted, is the youngest of the four distinguished
tons of the Rev. DaviJ Du.lley Fie'd, who wis born at East Guilford, Conn., the 20th of May, 17S1, and
died at Stockbridee, Mass., on the 15th of April. 1S67; he was a son of Captain Timothy Field, an officer
of the Revo!utionar\- army. The four sons were: David Dudley, the eniiiient jurist: Stephen Johnson,
lawyer and Ju-.tice of the Supreme C^urt; Cyrus West, the originator of the Atlantic cables: and lastly,
Henry Martyn, who was born at Stockbridge. on the 3d of April, 1S-2, and still survives; an able writer,
editor, and distinguished Presbyterian divi. e — Editor.
* With this opinion of Dr. Field. General Hooker appears to have agreed; for he said, before the Con-
gr'Ssional Committee on the conduct of the war : " With rank and file vastly inferior to our own, intellectu-
ally and physically, that army has, by discipline alone, acquired a character for steadiness and etTiciency
unsurpassed, in my judgment, in ancient Or modern times. We have not been able to rival it, nor hai there
been any near appro xim.ttioa to it in the other rebel armies." — Editor.
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422 :■■ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
is a chapter in that life which the world does not know so well, which ougli:
to be told, to the greater honor of the illustrious dead. The war was over.
The Northern armies had returned victorious, while the veterans of the
South, defeated, but not dishonored, took their way back to their desolate
homes. The army disbanded and dispersed, what bhould its leader do ?
His old ancestral home, standing on that noble height which looks down
on the Potomac and across to the dome of the Capitol, was in the hands of
those against whom he had been fighting for four years, and had even been
turned into a national cemetery, in \\ hich slept thcusand.s of the Union
dead, whose very ghosts might rise up against his return. But if he was an
e.xile from his own home, there were thousands of others open to him all
over the South, and across the sea, where his fame had gone before him,
and would have made him a welcome guest in princely halls. But such a
flight from his country (for so he would have regarded it) was impossible
to one of his chivalrous spirit. He had cast in his lot with his people ;
they had believed in him and had followed him, as they thought, to certain
triumph ; he would not desert them in the day of their adversity.
''Of course, had he been willing to listen to theni, he could have re-
ceived any number of ' business ' proposals. Rich, moneyed corporations
would have been glad to 'retain' him at any price as President or Di-
rector, so that they could have the benefit of his great name. One, it is
said, offered him $50,000 a year. But he \\as not to be allured by such
temptations. The very fact that they were coupled with ofters of money
was reason enough why he should reject them all, as he did, without a mo-
ment's hesitation. Nor could he be allured by any military proposals.
Maximilian offered to place him at the head of his army if he would go to
Mexico, thinking that his genius might save the fortunes of the falling em-
pire. But he would not accept any exile, however sjilendid. His answer
was, 'I love the mountains of Virginia still.' His work must be at home,
for work he must have. After his active life, he would not sink down into
idleness. With his military career ended, he must find a new career in
civil life. Besides, he had a proud spirit of independence, which would
not perniit him to live on the bounty of the rich at home or the titled
abroad. ' He would work for a living,' like the poorest of his soldiers.
At length came a proposal that seemed most alien to his former pursuits ;
that the Commander of the Southern Armies should become the President
of a College ! And yet this change from a military to an academic career
was not so violeiit as it might seem. He had been for three years Superin-
tendent of the Military Academy at West Point, where he was associated
with young men. He had been himself a student there, and had been
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 4*3
through all the stages of scholarly di^-cipline. Besides, the position of the
College to which he was invited, in Lexington, Virginia, was attractive to
him. It was remote from cities, among the mountains, and yet within the
limits of that ' Old Dominion ' which he looked upon as his mother.
"When it was knov.n that he had accepted the position, his coming
was looked for with great eagerness by the people of Lexington ; but he did
not fix the time, as he wished to avoid any public demonsttation. But it
had been arranged that lohen he came, he should spend a few days in the
hospitable dwelling in which I was so fortunate as to be a guest. While
thus in expectancy, the Professor was one day taking a walk, when he saw
riding up the street, a figure thai he instantly recognized as the same he had
so often seen at the head of the army ; and to make the picture perfect, he
was mounted on his old war-horse — a magnificent iron-gray called 'Trav-
eler ' — that had so often borne his niaster through the smoke of battle.
He wore no military uniform, nor sign of rank, but a light summer dress,
while a broad Panama hat shaded a face that no one could mistake. Ad-
vancing toward him, the Professor told of the arrangements for his en-
tertainment till he could be e5tabli.^hed in a house for himself, and led the
way to his home. Naturally my friend's family were at first somewhat awed
by the presence of their illustrious guest. But this was soon dissipated by
his simple and unaffected manner. What ' broke the ice ' most completely
was his manner with the children. He was always very fond of little
people, and as soon as they appeared, ' Uncle Robert,' as he was affection-
ately called in the army, had them in his arms and on his knees, till they
soon felt perfectly at home with him. They ' captured ' him at once, and
he 'captured' them, and in this captured their parents also. From that
moment all constraint disappeared, though nothing could ever take from the
profound respect and veneration with which they looked up to ' General Lee.'
"This was in September, iii65, and on tlie 2d uf October, after
solemn prayer bv the venerable Dr. White, he took the oath of office, as re-
quired by the law^ of the College, and thus became its President. Natu-
rally his name drew great numbers of students, not only from Virginia, but
from all parts of the South, who were eager to 'serve ' under such a leader,
and the number of undergraduates rose from one hundred and fifty to over
four hundred. ... In one respect his influence was immeasurable. Every
man in the South looked up to General Lee as the highest type of manhood,
and his very presence was an insiiiration. This is the influence which
young men feel more than any other — that inspired by intense admiration —
an influence that would have been very potent if the object of their admira-
tion had been merely a great soldier, dazzling them by his genius, but des-
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424 LEE OF VIRGINIA
titute of high principle. Had that been the case, his influence would have
been demoralizing as now it was elevating, since his superiority in all other
respects was united with a cliaracter that was so gentle and so good. That
he miglit reach tlie young, he souglit their acquaintance, instead of stand-
ing apart in icy dignity. Professor White tells me that, if they were walk-
ing together in the College grounds, and a student was seen approaching,
he would ask who he was, and when he came up, instead of passing him
with a stiff and stately bow, would stop and call him by name, and ask
about his family and his studies, and speak a few words of encouragement,
which the young man would not forget to his dying day. To be under the
authority and irifluence of such a man was an education in manliness.
There was not a student who did not feel it, and to whom it was not the
highest auihition to be guided by such a leader, to be infused with his spirit,
and to follow his example. . . .
" He knew that whatever fell from his lips would be repeated, and not
always as. he had said it, but with a change of words, or in a different tone
of voice, that might give it quite another meaning. Indeed, with all his
caution, he was often quoted as saying what he did not say. As an illus-
tration, Professor \Vhite told rae that a story had gone the rounds of the
papers to the effect that in a conversation Gen. Lee had brought his
clenched hand down on the table, to give emphasis to his utterance, as he
said, ' If 1 had liad Stonewall Jackson with me I should have won the battle
of Gettysburg and established the Southern Confederacy !' ' Now,' said the
Professor, ' without ever asking him, I kno'tu that such an occurrence never
took place, for in the first place General Lee " never brought his hand down
on the table " — he was not that sort of a man — it is impossible to conceive
of him as using any violence of gesture or of language. And as to Stone-
wall Jackson, while he did feel keenly the absence of that great corps com-
mander, he v.as not the man to indulge in sweeping and positive state-
ments ; he never spoke with such absolute assurance of anything, but always
with a degree of reserve, as once, when we were riding together, he said in
his usual guarded and cautious manner: '• If i had had Stonewall Jackson
with me — so far as }nan can see — I should have won the battle of Gettys-
burg." So careful was he to put in this qualification : for he always recog-
nized an overruling Power that n.ay disappoint the wisest calculations, and
defeat the most caret\il combinations of courage and skill.' "...
'■'■ Tke C/mracier of GenerLil Lee."
" My last letter left us in the College Chapel at Lexington, gazing
upon the recumbent statue of General Lee. While standing here, in the
STRATKOPD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION'. 4^5
very presence of the dead, I arn moved to say a fe-.v words in regard to the
life that ended in this tomb, and the character of the man whose name is
carved upon this stone. As I read history, and compare the men who have
figured in the events that make history — in wars and revolutions — it seems
to me that General Lee v.as not only a great soldier, but a great man,
one of the greatest that our country has produced. After his death, the
College which had hitherto borne the name of Washington, by whom it
was endowed, was re-christened ' Washington and Lee University ' — a
combination which suggests a comparison of the two men whose names
are here brought together. Can we trace any likeness between them.? At
first it seems as if no characters, as well as no careers, could be more alien
to each other than those of the two great leaders, one of whom was the
Founder of the Government which the other did his utmost to destroy.
But nature brings forth her children in strange couples, with resemblances
in some cases as marked, and as yet unexpected, as are contrasts in others.
Washington and Lee, though born in different centuries, were children of
the same mother, Old Virginia, and had her best blood in their veins. De-
scended from the stock of the English Cavaliers, both were born 'gentle-
men,' and never could be anything else. Both were trained in the school
of war, and as leaders of armies it would not be a violent assumption to
rank Lee as the equal of Washington. But it is not in the two soldiers,
but in the two men, that the future historian will find points of resemblance.
"Washington was not a brilliant man; not 'a man of genius,' such
as now and then appears to dazzle mankind ; but he had what was far bet-
ter than genius — a combination of ail the qualities that win human trust;
in which intelligence is so balanced by judgment and exalted by character
as to constitute a natural superiority; indicating one who is bcrn to com.-
mand, and to whom all men turn, when their hearts are ' failing them for
fear,' as a leader. He was great not only in action, but in repose; great
in his very calm — in the fortitude with which he bore himself through all
changes of fortune, through dangers and disasters, neither elated by vic-
tory nor depressed by defeat — mental habitudes which many will recognize
as reappearing in the one who seems to have formed himself upon that
great model. Washington was distinguished for his magnanim.ity. Was
not Lee also? Men in public station are apt to be sensitive to whatever
concerns their standing before the world; and so, while taking to them-
selves the credit of success, they are strongly tempted to throw upon others
the blame of failure. Soldiers especially are jealous of their reputation ;
and if a commander loses a battle his first impulse is to cast the odium of
defeat upon some unfortunate ofricer. Som.ebody blundered ; this or that
'J<vi;
A,\: : •■/ .i:-''! r.
426 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
subordinate did not do his duty. Military annals are filled with these re-
criminations. If Napoleon met with a check in his mighty plans he had
no scruple in laying it to the misconduct of some lieutenant ; unless, as in
Russia, he could throw it upon the elements, the wintry snows and the
frozen rivers — anything to relieve himself from the imputation of the want
of foresight or provision for unexpected dangers. At Waterloo it was not
he that failed in his strategy, but Marshal Ney that failed in the execution.
In this respect General Lee was exactly his opposite. If he suffered a
disaster he never sought to evade responsibility by placing it upon
others. Even in the greatest reverse of his life, the defeat at Gettysburg,
when he saw the famous charge of Pickett melt away under the terrible fire
that swept the field, till the ranks were literally torn in pieces by shot and
shell, he did not vent his despair in rage and reproaches, but rushing to the
front, took the blame upon himself, saying, '// is all my fault.'' Perhaps no
incident of his life showed more the nobility of his nature.
"■ When the war was over General Lee had left to him at Lexington
about the same number oi years that Napoleon had at St. Helena ; and if
he had had the same desire to pose for posterity in the part of an illustrious
exile, his mountain home would have furnished as picturesque a background
as the rocky island in the South Atlantic, from which he could have dic-
tated ' Conversations ' that should furnish the materials of history. He need
not have written or published a single line if he had only been willing to
let others do it for him. By their pens he had opportunity to tell of the
great part he had acted in the war in a way to make the whole chain of
events contribute to his fame. But he seemed to care little for fame, and,
indeed, was unmoved when others claimed the credit of his victories. If
it be, as Pascal says, ' the truest mark of a great mind to be born without
envy,' few men in history have shown more of this greatness than he.
And when, as was suraetiines the case, old companions-in-arms reflected
upon him to excuse their own mistakes, he had only to lift the veil from
the secrets of hi:,tory to conibund them. But under all temptations he was
dumb. Nothing tiiat he ^//,/ or j-i?/i/ was more truly grand than \[\q silaice
with which he bore the misrepresentations of friend or foe.^ This required
> General L-e absolutely refused to allow any one to write in his defense, or to repeat any information
received from hini in private conversation. On the 2jd of Aujuit, iS66, he wrote to an English gentle-
man who desired to write soniu-thin;,' in his behalf: "... What 1 stated to you in convers.ition during
the visit which you did me the hanor to pay me in November last was entirely for your own information,
and was in no way intcn.ied for publication ... I have an objection to the publication of my private con-
versation*, which are never intended bat for those to whom they are addressed. . . . Though fully appre-
ciating your kind wi-,h to correct cert.iiu erroneous statements as regards myself, I prefer to remain silent
rather than to do anytlii;ig that might excite angry discussion at this time. ..." (Jones' Rtminiscencts 0/
Gtntral Lfi, 21c.; — EditOk.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 427
a self-command such as Washington had not to exercise at the end of his
military career : for he retired from tlie scene crowned with victory, with a
whole nation at his feet ready to do him honor, while Lee had to bear the
reproach of the final disaster — a reproach in which friends sometimes
joined with foes. Yet to both he answered only with the same majestic
calm, the outward sign of his magnificent self-control. Such magnanimity
belongs to the very highest order of moral qualities, and shows a character
rare in any country or any age.
"This impression of the man does not grow less with closer observa-
tion. With the larger number of ' great men ' the greatness is magnified
by distance and separation. As we come nearer they dwindle in stature,
till, when we are in their very presence and look them squarely in the face,
they are found to be but men like ourselves, and sometimes very ordinary
men — with some special ability, perhaps, which gives them success in the
world, but who for all that are full of selfishness, which is the very essence
of meanness, and puffed up with paltry conceit and vanity that stamps them
as little rather than great. Far different was the impression made by Gen-
eral Lee upon those who saw him in the freedom of private intercourse. It
might be expected that the soldiers who fought under him should speak
with pride and admiration of their old commander; but how did he appear
to his neighbors? Here in Lexington everybody knew him, at least by
sight. They saw his manner o( life from day to day, in his going out and
his couiing ia, and on all the impression was the same: the nearer he came
to them the greater he seemed. Every one has some anecdote to tell of
him, and it is always of something that was noble and lovable. Those
who knew him best loved him most and revered him most. This was not
a greatness that was assumed, that was put on like a military cloak ; it was
in the man, and could not be put on or off; it was the greatness which
comes from the very absence of pretension. And those who came closest
to him give us a still further insight into his nature by telling us that what
struck them most was the extent of his sympathy. Soldiers are commonly
supposed to be cold and hard — a temper of mind to which they are inured
by their very profession. Those whose business is the shedding of blood
are thought to delight in human suffering. It is hard to believe that a soldier
can have a very tender heart. Yet few men were more sensitive to others'
pain than General Lee. All who came near him perceived that with his
manly strength there was united an almost womanly sweetness. It was this
gentleness which niade him great, and which has enshrined him in the
hearts of his people forever.
"This sympathy for the suffering showed itself, not in any public act
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428 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
SO much as in a more private and delicate office which imposed uj^on him a
very heavy burden — one that he might have declined, but the takiu" of
which showed the man. He had an unlimited correspondence. Letters
poured in upon him by the hundred and the thousand. They came from all
parts of the South, not only from his old companions-in-arms, but from those
he had never seen or heard of. Every mother that had lost a son in the
war felt that she had a right to pour her sorrow into the ear of one wlio
was not insensible to her grief. Families left in utter poverty appealed to
him for aid. Most men would have shrunk from a labor so great as that of
answering these letters. Not so General Lee. He read them, not only
patiently, as a man performs a disagreeable duty, but with a tender interest,
and so far as was possible, he returned the kindest answers. If he had little
money to give, he could at least give sympathy, and to his old soldiers and
their wives and children, it was more than money to know that they had a
place in that great heart.
" While thus ministering to his stricken people, there is one public
benefit which he rendered that ought never to be forgotten. Though the
war was over he still stood in public relations in which he could render an
immeasurable service to the whole country. There are no crises in a nation's
life more perilous than those following civil war. The peace that comes
after it, is peace only in name, if the passions of the war still live. After
our great struggle, the South ^vas full of inflammable materials. The fires
were but smouldering in ashes and might break out at any minute, and rage
with destructive fury. If the spirit of some had had full swing, the passions
of the Civil War would have been not only perpetuated, but increased, and
have gone down as an inheritance of bitterness from generation to genera-
tion. This stormy sea of passion but one man could control. He had no
official position, civil or military. But he was the representative of the
'Lost Cause.' He had led the Southern armies to battle, and he still had
the unbounded confidence of millions; and it was his attitude and his words
that did more than anything else to still the angry tempe=;t that the war had
left behind. It was the sight of their great chieftain, so calm, so ready to
bear the burden with his people, that soothed their anger and their pride ;
and made the old soldiers of the Confederacy feel that they could accept
what had been accepted by their leader ; and tiiat, as he had set the e.xample,
it was no unworthy sacrifice to become loyal supporters of the restored
American L'nion. It is therefore not too much to say that it is owing in
great measure to General Lee that the Civil War has not left a lasting divis-
ion between the North and the South, and that they form to-day one
United Countrv.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 4*9^
" These are the grateful memories to be recalled now that he who was
so mighty in war, and so gentle in peace, has passed beyond the reach of
praise or blame. Do you tell me he was an 'enemy,' and that by as much
as we love our country we ought to hate its enemies? But there are no
enemies among the dead. When the grave closes over those with whom
we have been at strife, we can dioi) our hatreds, and judge of them without
passion, and even kindly, as we wish those who come after us to judge of us.
In a few years all the contemporaries of General Lee will be dead and gone ;
the great soldiers that fought with him and that fought against him, will
alike have passed to the grave ; and then perhaps there will be a nearer
approach of feeling between friend and foe.
" 'Ah, yes,' say some who admit his greatness as a soldier and leader,
* if it were not for his ambition, that stopped not at the ruin of his country !'
Such is the fatal accusation :
" ' C?e5ar was ambitious :
, ■• If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously bath Cresar answered it.'
"But was that ambition in him which was patriotism in us? How is
it that zae who were upborne for four years by a passion for our country,
that stopped at no sacrifices, cannot understand that other men, of the same
race and blood, could be inspired with the same passion for what they
looked upon as their country, and fight for it with the same heroic devotion
that we fought for ours? They as well as we were fighting for an idea:
we for union, and they for independence — a cause which was as sacred to
them as ours to us. Is it that what was patriotism on one side was only
ambition on the other? No; it was not disappointed ambition that cut
short that life, but a wound that struck far deeper. One who watched by
him in those long night hours, tells me that he died of a broken heart !
This is the most touching aspect of the great warrior's death; that he did
not fall on the field of battle, either in the hour of defeat or victory, but in
silent grief for sutYerings which he could not relieve. There is something
infinitely pathetic in the way that he entered into the condition of a whole
people, and gave his last strength to comfort those who were tallen and
cast down. It was this constant strain of hand and brain and heart that
finally snapped the strings of life ; so that the last view of him as he passes
out of our sight, is one of unspeakable sadness. The dignity is preserved,
but it is the dignity of woe. It is the same tall and stately form, \et not
wearing the robes of a conquerer, but bowed with sorrows not his own. In
this mournful majesty, silent with a grief beyond words, this great figure
pa>,ses into history.
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430 LEK OF VIRGINIA. • *■■■'
"There we leave him to the judgment of another generation, that
'standincj afar ofT' may see some things more clearly than we. When the
historian of future ages comes to write the History of the Great Republic,
he will give the first place to that War of the Revolution by which our
country gained its independence, and took its place among the nations of
the earth; and the second to the late Civil War, which, begun for sepa-
ration, ended in a closer and consolidated union. That was the last act
in the great drama of our nation's life, in which history cannot forget
the part that was borne by him whose silent form lies within this sepulchre.
"As I took a last look at the sarcophagus, I observed that it bore
no epitaph ; no words of praise were carved upon the stone ; only a name,
with two dates :
Robert Edward Lee,
Born January 19, 1S07 ;
Died October 12, 1870.
" That is all ; but it is enough : all the rest may be left to the calm,
eternal judgment of history."
So very many of General Lee's letters have been published that it is
a difficult task to select a few for renewed publication, or to choose a few
as being the best. However, those to the members of his own immediate
family certainly give the closest insight into the true character of the man.
Writing to his two eldest sons, from,
"Ship Massachusetts, off Lobos, 27th February, 1S47.
"My dear Boys: I have received your letters with the greatest
pleasure, and, as I always like to talk to you both together, I will not sepa-
rate you in my letters, but write one to you both. I was much grati-
fied to hear of your progress at school, and hope that you will continue
to advance, and that I shall have the happiness of finding )'ou much
improved in all your studies on my return. I shall not feel my long
separation from you, if I find that my absence has been of no injury to
you, and that you have both grov.n in goodness and knowledge, as well
as stature. But, ah! how much I will suffer on my return, if the reverse
has occurred ! You enter all my thoughts, into all my prayers ; and on
you, in part, will depend whether I shall be hap[)y or miserable, as you
know how much I love you. You must do all in your power to save me
from pain.
"You will learn, by my letter to your grandmother, that I have left
Tampico. I saw many things to reniind me of you, tliongh that w is not
pecessary to make me wish you were with me. The river was so calm and
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 431
•beautiful, and the boys were playing about in boats, and swimming their
ponies. Then there v>ere troops of donkeys carrying water through the
streets. They had a kind of saddle, something like a cart-saddle, though
larger, that carried two ten-gallon kegs on each side, wliicli was a load for
a donkey. They had no bridles on, but would come along in strings to
the river, and, as soon as their kegs were filled, start off again. They were
fatter and sleeker that any donke\s I had ever seen before, and seemed to
be better cared for. I saw a great many ponies, too. They were larger
than those in the upper country, but did not seem so enduring. I got one
to ride around the fortifications. He had a Mexican bit and saddle, and
paced delightfully, but, every time my sword struck him in the flanks,
would jump and try to run off. Several of them had been broken to harness
by Americans, and I saw some teams, in wagons, driven four-in-hand, well
matched and trotting well.
"We had a grand parade on General Scott's arrival. The troops
were all drawn up on the river bank, and fired a salute as he passed them.
He landed at the market, where lines of sentinels were placed to keep off
the crowd. In front of the landing the artillery was drawn up, which re-
ceived him in the centre of the column, and escorted him through the
streets to his lodgings. They had provided a handsome gray horse, richly
caparisoned, for him, but he preferred to walk, with his staff around him,
and a dragoon led his horse behind us. The windows along the streets we
passed were crowded with people, and the boys and girls were in great glee,
the Governor's Island Ixmd playing all the time. There were six thousand
soldiers in Tampico. Mr. Barry was the adjutant of the escort. I think
you would have enjo^-ed with me the oranges and sweet-potatoes. Major
Smith became so tond of the chocolate that I could hardly get him away
from the house. We only remained there one day. I have a nice state-
room on board this .slu'p ; Joe Johnston and myself occupy it, but my poor
Joe is so sick all the time I can do nothing with him. I left Jem to come
on with the horses, as I was afraid thcv would not be properly cared for.
Vessels were expressly fitted up for the horses, and parties of dragoons de-
tailed to take care of them. I had hoped they would reach here by this
time, as I wanted to sec how they were fixed. I took every precaution for
their comfort, provided them with bran, oats, <S:c., and had slings made to
pass under them and attached to the coverings above, so that, if in the
heavy sea they should slip, or be thrown off their feel, they could not fall.
I had to sell my good old horse Jim, as I could not find room for him, or,
rather, I did not want to crowd the others. I know I shall want him ^^hen
I land. Creole was the admiration of every one at Brazos, and they hardly
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432 LEE OF VIRGINIA. •> ,; .
believed she had carried me so far, and looked so well. Jem says there is
nothing like her in oil the country, and I believe he likes her better than
Tom or Jerry. The sorrel mare did not appear to be so well after I got to
Brazos. I had to put one of the men on her, whose horse had given out.
and the saddle hurt her back. She had gotten well, however, before I left, and
I told Jem to ride her every day. I hope they may both reach shore again
in safety, but I fear they will have a hard time. They will first have to be
put aboard a steamboat and carried to the ship that lies about two miles out
at sea, then hoisted in, and how we shall get them ashore again, I do not
know. Probably throw them overboard and let them swim there. I do
not think we shall remain here more than one day longer. General Worth's
and General Twigg's divisions have arrived, which include the regulars,
and I suppose the volunteers will be coming on every day. We shall prob-
ably go on the ist down the coast, select a place for debarkation, and
make all the arrangements preparatory to the arrival of the troops. 1 shall
have plenty to do there, and am anxious for the time to come and hope all
may l)e successful.
" Tell R.ob he must think of me very often, be a good boy, and always
love Papa. Take care of Speck and the colts. Mr. Sedwick and officers
send their love to you. The ship rolls so that I can scarcely write. You
must write to me very often. I am always very glad to hear from you. Be
sure I am thinking of you, and that you have the prayers of your affection-
ate father."
To his eldest son, then a cadet at West Point, he wrote this grand
letter. No apology for its republication is needed :
"Arlington House, 5th April, 1S52. ^ly Dear Son, — I am just in the
act of leaving home for New Mexico. My fine old regiment has been
ordered to that distant region, and I must hasten on to see that they are
properly cared for. I have but little to add in reply to your letters of March
26, 27, and 28. Your letters breathe a true spirit of frankness; they have
given myself and your mother great pleasure. You must study to be frank
with the world. Frankness is the child of honesty and courage. Say just
wRat you mean to do on every occasion, and take it for granted you mean
to do right. If a friend asks a favor you should grant it if it is reasonable ;
if not, tell him plainly why you cannot. You will wrong him and wrong
yourself by equivocation of any kind. Never do a wrong thing to make
a frienti or to keep one. The man who requires you to do so is dearly I'ur-
chased at a sacrifice. Deal kindly, but firmly, with all your cla.ssmate-> ;
you will find it the policy which wears be^t. Above all, do not appear to
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 433
Others what you are not. If you have any fault to find with any one tell
hitn, not others, of v. hat }ou complain. There is no more dangerous ex-
periment than that of undertaking to be one thing before a man's face and
another behind his back. We should live, act, and say nothing to the injury
of any one. It is not only best' as a matter of principle, but it is the path
to peace and honor.
" In regard to duty, let me, in conclusion of this hasty letter, inform
you that nearly a hundred years ago there was a day of remarkable gloom
and darkness, still known as the dark day — a day when the light of the sun
was slowly extinguished, as if by an eclipse. The Legislature of Connec-
ticut was in session, and, as its members saw the unexpected and unac-
countable darkness coming on, they shared the general awe and terror. It
was supposed by many that the last day, the day of judgment, had come.
Some one, in the consternation of the hour, moved an adjournment. Then
there arose an old Puritan legislator, Davenport of Stamford, and said that
if the last day had come he desired to be found at his place, doing his
duty, and, therefore, moved that candles be brought in, so that the House
could proceed with its duty. There was quietness in that man's mind — the
quietness of heavenly wi-dom and inflexible willingness to obey present duty.
Duty, then, is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all
things, like the old Puritan. You cannot do more ; you should never wish
to do less. Never let me or your mother wear one gray hair for any lack
of duty on your part."
Mrs. Lee once stated that '■'■attention to ^ small' matters was pre-emi-
nently characteristic of General Lee ; and she thought his example, in this
respect, might be most profitably studied by the young people of the present
day." This trait he exhibited throughout life; no detail of anything he
had in charge seems to have been considered too trifling to merit his care
that it should be thoroughly well done. This is well illustrated in the fol-
lowing letter to his wife. Though a thousand miles from home, he sought
to be there in counsel, and to aid her in all the petty details of her house-
hold affairs ; he would save her all the worry and all the care he could :
" Jefferson B.^RRACKS, 20 Aug., 1S55.
" I announced on the envelope of my letter of the 17th, dearest M.,
that yours of the nth, accompanied by Fitzhugh's affectionate communi-
cation of the same date, had just reached me. I have no doubt but that my
reply to his former letter was carried out by your messenger who mailed the
last. I have howeser ha.stened to answer his last letter, for it deserved a
prompt re[)ly, and hope it may reach him in time before his departure.
28
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434 l-EE OF \aRGINIA.
Our mails are slow. It only goes every other day from here to St. Louis,
and I find it takes a fortnight for a letter to go and come. I enclosed in
my letter of the 17th to him my check No. 112, dated ist. Sept., to his
order for $200 on Bank of Commerce in New York ; and to you, my check
of 22 Aug., to your order on Farmers' Bk. of Va., at Alex^ for $ico, and
my check of i Sept. to the order of Hugh W. Sheffy on same bank for
$195. I repeat that you may look out for the letter, and on its non-recep-
tion, stop payment of the checks at the respective banks. With this I send
my check No. 113, of 25 Aug. '55 on Bk. of Com'^= in New York to the
order of Collins & Co., Baltimore, for $200, which as you have his bill, I
have thought you had better remit to him. You may tell him that I have
deducted $20.00 from his original offer, as the value of the two registers net
used, and the cost of workmanship thereby saved ; the payment of plas-
terer's bill, hauling, iSrc, and which if not satisfactory I will arrange an-
other time. The bricks and niortar, I was to furnish. The board of his
men and hauling was not much, and was more a convenience to him than
expense. Perhaps $15 would have been enough, and if he say so, I wish
you v.-ould send him $5. I would rather over pay than under pav me-
chanics. You will have to use the $\oo I sent you to pay off all your bills.
get the girls to school, and Fitzhngh to C. for I am afraid he is penniless,
and I will send you another in time for my dear little Rob, who shall not
suffer if I have to sell the shirt from m}-back. I am glad he is well again. I
trust he may keep so, but I fear you will all have bilious attacks. I think
it is better to write for the furniture you -u.'ant from W. P. [West Point], while
Mr. Smith is there ; after he goes I do not know who will attend to it. I
suppose however Mr. Newlands and ■Mr. O'Maher will be left. The f'iciuri
had better come by express. It •^^■ill not be ready to varnish betbre next
spring. I am glad you are going to have the book cases repaired. What
will you do with the old harpsichord and organ ? The former will not be
appropriate for the room and the latter ought to give place to the hall table
at W. P. Renv.ick could make you another pair of chairs similar to the
present, and the lounge, table and four chairs would be sufficient. If you
have them made, recollect to have them oiled before being varnished, or
the color will be too light. I wish indeed I could be there to help you,
but it is impossible. You must have everything nice and comfortable for
your father and friends, and I will enjoy it through you. I mentioned in
my last letter the necessity of paying the taxes on the Washington lot be-
fore the end of Aug., to get the benefit of the discount. The amt. under
the present assessment is between <;4 and $5 and is payable at the Col-
lector's office at the City Hall. It must be paid every July or Aug., I for-
iv 1 ,■• •.'.■'1 'J
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 435
get which. You have not mentioned lately anything about Mary's foot. I
hope therefore it is still improving. Neither did you give me the result of
the consultation about the horse's eye. Sometimes an operation in those
cases has to be resorted to, but it ought to be done by a skillful operator. I
hope in his case it will not be necessary. Give much love to your father
and the children. Tell Becky, she had better come. Goodnight, my dear
M., and believe me always yours.
"(P. S.) I was very glad to see that Hill Carter, Jr. of Shirley had
taken one of the honors at W"". and Mary. Who is the .A.. M. Randolph
of Fauquier, whose oration on ' Human Progress,' is so highly spoken of?
I am very sorry to see announced this morning the death of Abbott Law-
rence. He is a national loss. But his deeds live after him."
While the approaching storm of civil war was as yet hardly visible.
even as a tiny cloud in the political sky, General Lee wrote to his wife of
the evils of slavery and of his views as to the proper methods for their eman-
cipation :
" Fort Brown, Texas, 27th December, 1856. The steamer has arrived
from New Orleans, bringing full tiles of papers and general intelligence from
the 'States.' I have enjoyed the former very much, and, in absence of
particular intelligence, have perused with much interest the series of the
Alexandria Gazette from the 20th of November to the Sth of December
inclusive. Besides the usual good reading matter, I was interested in the
relation of local affairs, and inferred, from the quiet and ordinary course
of events, that all in the neighborhood was going on well. I trust it may
be so, and that you and particularly all at Arlington and our friends else-
where are well. The steamer brought the President's message to Congress
and the reports of the various heads of the departments, so that we are now
assured that the Governaient is in operation and the Union in existence.
Not that I had any fears to the contrary, but it is satisfactory always to
have facts to go on ; they restrain supposition and conjecture, confirm faith,
and bring contentment. I was much pleased with the President's message
and the report of the Secretary of War. The views of the President on
the domestic institutions of the South are truthfully and faithfully expressed.
In this enlightened age there are few. I believe, but will acknowledge that
slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil in any country. It is
useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it, however, a greater
evil to the white than to the black race, and while my feelings are
strongly interested in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are stronger for
the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa,
'I. ■; \'i
43^ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
morally, socially, and physically. The painful discipline they are under-
going is necessary for their instruction as a race, and, I hope, will prer .ire
and lead them to better things. How long their subjection mav be neces-
sary is known and ordered by a wise and merciful Providence. Thcjr
emancipation will sooner result from a mild and melting influence than ti:-.-
storms and contests of fiery controversy. This influence, though slow, is
sure. The doctrines and miracles of our Saviour have required nearlv iwo
thousand years to convert but a small part of the human race, and even
among Christian nations what gross errors still exist ! While we see tl^e
course of final abolition of slavery is onward, and we give it the aid of our
prayers and all j'lstifiable means in our power, we must leave the progres.>
as well as the result in His hands, who sees the end and who chooses to
work by slow things, and with whom a thousand years are as but a sinccle
day ; although the abolitionist must know this, and must see that he has
neither the right nor the power of operating except by moral means and
suasion ; and if he means well to the slave he must not create angry feel-
ings in the master. That although he may not approve the mode by which
it pleases Providence to accomplish its purposes, the result will never be the
same; that the reasons he gives for interference in what he has no concern
holds good for every kind of interference with our neighbors when we dis-
approve their conduct. Is it not strange that the descendants of those
Pilgrim Fathers who crossed the Atlantic to preserve the freedom of their
opinion have always proved themselves intolerant of the spiritual lilicriy
of others? I hope you had a joyous Christmas at Arlington, and that it
may be long and often repeated. I thought of you all and wished to be
with you. Mine was gratefully but silently passed. I endeavored to find
some little presents for the children in the garrison to add to their amuse-
ment, and succeeded better than I anticipated. The stores are very barren
of such things here, but by taking the week beforehand in my daily walks
I picked up little by little something for all. Tell Mildred I got a beauti-
ful Dutch doll for little Euur.a Jones — one of those crying babies that can
open and shut their eyes, turn their head, sScc. For the two other little
girls, Puss Shirley and Mary Sewell, I found handsome French teapots to
match cups given to them by Mrs. Waite; then by means of knives and
books I satis.ued the boys. After dispensing my presents I went to church.
The discourse was on the birth of our Saviour. It was not as simj/iy or
touchingly told as it is in the Bible. By previous invitation I dined with
Major Thomas at 2 p. M. on roast turkey and plum pudding. He and his
wife were alcne. I had provided a pretty singing bird for the little girl.
and passed the afternoon in my room. God bless vou all."
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 437
To his second son, then on duty in the West, he wrote, under date of
ist of January, 1S59 : " A happy New Year ! and nnany returns of the same
to you, my precious Roon ! Ours has been gladdened by the reception of
your letter of the 4th of December from Presidio Barracks. It is the first
line that has reached us since your second letter from Fort Bridger. I am
sorry you have received nothing from us. I have written often and by
various routes, and the other members of the family have done the same.
Those that are toiling over the plains, I suppose, will never reach you.
When I first learned that the Sixth was ordered to the Pacific I sent some
letters to Benicia. When your letter arrived from Fort Bridger, saving
your regiment had departed from Salt Lake and that you were at Camp
Floyd, I inclosed some letters to Major Porter's care. After seeing that
the regiment was stopped at Carson's Valley and had sent back for animals,
I conjectured that you would be pushed on with your recruits, and would
labor through to the Pacific, and I resumed my direction to Benicia.
Surely, some of these letters should reach you. . . . But, now that you
have caught Custis, I hope you are indemnified for ail your privations. I
am delighted at you two being together, and nothing has occurred so grati-
fying to me for the past year. Hold on to him as long as vou can. Kiss
him for me, and sleep with him every night. He must do the same with
you, and charge it all to my account. God grant that it could be my for-
tune to be with you both ! I am glad that you stood the march so well,
and are so robust and bearded. I always thought and said there was stuff
in you for a good soldier, and I trust you will prove it. I cannot express
the gratification I felt, in meeting Colonel May in New York, at the en-
comiums he passed upon your soldiership, zeal, and devotion to dutv. But
I was more pleased at the report of your conduct. That went nearer to my
heart, and v,-as of infinitely more comfort to me. Hold on to your purity
and virtue. They will proudly sustain you in all trials and diftlculties, and
cheer you in every calamity. I was sorry to see, from your letter to your
mother, that you smoke occasionally. It is dangerous to meddle with.
You have in store so much better use for your mouth. Reserve' it, Roon,
for its legitimate pleasure. Do not poison and corrupt it with stale vapors
or tarnish your beard with their stench."
Some of the letters, written during the trying times of the war, will
show how the stern soldier threw off the grave responsibilities of his posi-
tion, to indulge in a little friendly badinage, or to pour forth his sympathy
with the afflicted :
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438 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
" Coosawhatchie, S. C, 25th December, 1861.
"My Dear Daughter: Having distributed such poor Christmas gifts
as I had to those around me, I have been looking for something for yoii.
Trifles even are hard to get these war- times, and you must not therefore ex-
pect more. I have sent you what I thought most useful in your separation
from me, and hope it will be of some service. Though stigmatized as ' vi'e
dross,' it has never been a drug with me. That you may never want for it,
restrict your wants to your necessities. Yet how little will it purchase I
But see how God provides for our pleasures in every way. To compensate
for such 'trash,' I send you some sweet violets, that I gathered for you this
morning while covered with dense wliite frost, whose crystals glittered in
the bright sun like diamonds, and formed a brooch of rare beauty and
sweetness, which could not be fabricated by the expenditure of a world of
money. May God guard and preserve you for me, my dear daughter !
Among the calamities of war, the hardest to bear perhaps, is the separation
of families and friends. Yet all must be endured to accomplish our inde-
pendence, and maintain our self-government. In my absence from you, I
have thought of you very often, and regretted I could do nothing for your
comfort. Your old home, if not destroyed by our enemies, has been so
desecrated that I cannot bear to think of it. I should have preferred it to
have been wiped from the earth, its beautiful hill sunk, and its sacred trees
buried, rather than to have been degraded by the presence of those who
revel in the ill they do for their own selfish purposes. You see what a poor
sinner I am, and how unworthy to possess what has been given me; for that
reason it has been taken away. I pray for a better spirit, and that the
hearts of our enemies may be changed. In your homeless condition, I
hope you make yourself contented and useful. Occuj^y yourself in
aiding those more helpless than yourself. . . . Think always of your
father. ' '
Of Arlington and Stratford, the two homes around which so many
hallowed memories were grouped, he wroie his wife the same day : '
"I cannot let this day of grateful rejoicing pass without some
communion with you. I am thankful for the many among the past that I
have passed with you, and the remembrance of them fills me with pleasure.
As to our old home, if not destroyed it will be difticult ever to be recog-
nized. Even if the enemy had wished to preserve it, it would almost have
been impossible. With the number of troops encamped around it, the
change of officers, the want of fuel, shelter, etc., and all the dire ne-
' General Lee, by Fitzhugh Lee, 129.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 439
cessities of war, it is vain to think of its being in a habitable condition. I
fear, too, the books, furniture, and relics of Mount Vernon will be gone.
It is better to make up our minds to a general loss. They cannot take
away the remembrances of the spot, and the memories of those that to us
rendered it sacred. That will remain to us as long as lite will last and that
we can preserve. In the absence of a home I wish I could purchase Strat-
ford. It is the only other place I could go to now acceptable to us, that
would inspire me with pleasure and local love. You and the girls could re-
main there in quiet. Ic is a poor place, but we could make enough corn-
bread and bacon for our support, and the girls could weave us our clothes.
You must not build your hopes on peace on account of the L'nited States
going to war with England. Our rulers are not entirely mad, and if
they find England is in earnest, and that war or a restitution of the captives
[Messrs. Mason and Slidell] must be the consequence, they will adopt the
latter. We must make up our minds to fight our battles and win our inde-
pendence alone. Xo one will help us."
To his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son, W. H. F. Lee, the three
following letters were written :
" Coosawhatchie, S. C, December 29, 1S61. You have no occasion
to inform me, you precious Chass, that you have not written to me for a
long time. That I already knew, and you know that the letters I am
obliged to write do not prevent my reading letters from you.
" If it requires fits of indignation to cause you to ventilate your paper,
I will give occasion for a series of spasms, but in the present case I am inno-
cent, as ray proposition was for you to accompany your mamma to Fayette-
ville, and not to run off with her son to Fredericksburg. I am afraid the
enemy will catch you; and, besides, there are too many young men there.
I only want you to visit the old men, your grandpapa and papa. But
what has got into your heads to cause you to cut off your hair? If you
will weave some delicate fabrics for the soldiers of the family out of it, I
will be content with the sacrifice ; or, if it is an expression of a penitential
mood that has come over you young women, I shall not complain. Poor
little A ! Somebody told me that a widower had been making sweet
eyes at her through his spectacles. Perhaps she is jireparing for caps. But
you can tell her not to distress herself. Her papa is not going to give her
up in that way. 1 am, however, so glad that you are all together that I am
willing you should indulge in sonie extravagances if they do not result in
serious hurt, as tliey will afford a variety to the grave occupation of knitting,
sewing, spinning, and weaving. You will have to get out the old wheels
and looms again, else I do not know where we poor Confederates will get
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440 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
clothes. I have a plenty of old ones for the present, but how are they to be
renewed? And that is the condition of many others. I do not think there
are manufactories sufficient in the Confederacy to supply the demand; and,
as the men are all engrossed by the war, the women will have to enlace
in the business. Fayetteville or Stratford would be a fine position for a
domestic manufactory. When you go to see your grandpa, consult him
about it. I am glad to hear that he is well, and hope that he will not let
these disjointed times put him out of his usual way or give him inconveni-
ence. I would not advise him to commence building at Broadneck until
he sees whether the enemy can be driven from the land, as they have a
great fondness for destroying residences when they can do it without dan-
ger to themselves. . . . Do not let them get that precious baby, as he is so
sweet that they would be sure to eat him. . . . Kiss Fitzhugh for me and
the baby. That is the sweetest Christmas-gift I can send them. I send
you some sweet violets; I hope they may retain their tVagrance till you
receive them. I have just gathered them for you. The sun has set, and my
eyes plead for relief, for they have had no rest this holy day. But my heart
with all its strength stretches toward you, and those with you, and hushes in
silence its yearnings. God bless you, my daughter, your dear husband.
and son ! Give much love to your mamma, and may every blessing attend
you all, prays your devoted father."
" Dabb's, June 22, 1S62. I must take a part of this holy day, my
dearest Chass, to tliank you for your letter of the 14th. I am very glad
that my communication after the battle reached you so opportunely, and
relieved your an.xiety about your Fitzhugh. lie has, since that, made a
hazardous scout, and been protected by that Divine Providence v;hich, I
trust and pray, may always smile on, as I know it will ever watch over,
you and yours. I sent you some account of this exjiedition in a former
letter, as well as the order of General Stuart on the subject. It was badly
printed, but may serve to show you that he conducted himself well. The
general deals in the flowery style, as you will jjerceive if }'0u e\'er see his
report in detail ; but he is a good soldier, and sjieaks highly of the conduct
of the two Lees, who, as far as I can learn, deserve his encomiums. Your
mamma is very zealous in her attentions to your sick brother. He is re-
ported better. I think he was a few evenings since, when I saw him, and
a note this morning from her states that he slowl)- improves. I hope he will
soon be well again. He is much reduced, and looks very feeble. I suppose
he will be obliged to go to the ' North Carolina White Sulphur,' to keep
you young women company. How will you like that ? And now I must
answer your inquiries about myself. My habiliments are not as comibrta-
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 441
ble as yours, nor so suited to this hot weather ; but they are the best I
have. My coat is of gray, of the regulation style and pattern, and my
pants of diuk blue, as is also prescribed, partly hid by my long boots. I
have the same handsonic hat which surmounts my gray head (the latter is
not prescril.^ed in the regulations), and shields my ugly face, which is masked
by a white beard as stiff and wiry as the teeth of a card. In fact, an uglier
person you hcve ne\er seen, and so unattractive is it to our enemies that
they shoot at it whenever visible to them. But, though age with its snow
has whitened my head and its frosts have stiffened my limbs, my heart, you
well know, is not frozen to you, and summer returns when I see you.
Ha\ing now answered your questions, I have little more to say. Our
enemy is quietly working within his lines, and collecting additional forces
to drive us from our capital. I hope we shall be able yet to disappoint him,
and drive him back into his own country. I saw Fitzhugh the other day.
He was looking very well in a new suit of gray."
This hasty note to his .son, full of playful humor, is very interesting:
'' My Dear Fitzhugh : . . . I wrote you a few lines the other day, and
also to my daughter Charlotte. Tell her she must talk quick to you.
Her tinie is getting short, and the soldiers complain of the officers' wives
visiting them when theirs cannot. I am petitioned to send them oft". Your
poor mother is, I fear, no better. I received yesterday a very pleasing let-
ter from Rev. Dr. , complimentary of precious ; I have mailed
it to your mother. Kiss Chass for me, and tell her that daughters are not
prohibited from visiting their papas. It is only objected to wives visiting
their husbands. But she and Mrs. R are not included in the prohibi-
tion. Your uncle Carter says that they had him, with a gun and sword
buckled to him, guarding a ford on James River during Stoneman's last ex-
pedition. You and Fitz must not let them capture your uncle. I wish I
could have seen your review; I hope Chass did."
Afier his son had been wounded, he wrote these tv/o notes — one to
the son, the other to liis daughter-in-law:
" My dear Son : I send you a dispatch received from C last night.
I hope you are comfortable this morning. I wish I could see you, but I can-
not. Take care of youiself, and make haste and get well, and return.
Though I scarcely ever saw you, it was a great comfort to know that you
were near and with me. I could think of yuu and hope to see you. May
we yet meet in peace and happiness ! Kiss Chass for me. Tell her she
must not tease you while vou are sick, and she must write and let me know-
how you are. God bless you both, my children !"
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442
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
*' CuLPEPER, June II, 1863.
"I am so grieved, my dear daughter, to send Fitzhugh to you
wounded. But I am so grateful that his wound is of a character to give us
full hope of a speedy recovery. With his youth and strength to aid him,
and your tender care to nurse him., I trust he will soon be well again. I
know that you will unite with me in thanks to Almighty God, who has so
often shielded him in the hour of danger, for this recent deliverance, and
lift up your whole heart in praise to Him for sparing a life so dear to us,
while enabling him to do his duty in the station in which He had placed
him. Ask him to join us in supplication, that He may always cover him
with the shadow of His almighty arm, and teach him that his only refuge
is in Him, the greatness of whose mercy reacheth unto the heavens, and
His truth unto the clouds. As some good is always mixed with the evil in
this world, you will now have him with you for a time, and I shall look to
you to cure him very soon, and send him back to me ; for, though I saw
him seldom, I knew he was near, and always hoped to see him. I went
to-day to thank Mrs. Hill for her attention to him and kindness to you.
She desired me to give her regards to you both. I must now thank you
for the letter you wrote to me while at Fredericksburg. I kept it by me
till preparing for the battle-field, when, fearing it might reach the eyes of
General Hooker, I destroyed it. We can carry with us only our recollec-
tions. I must leave Fitzhugh to tell you about the battle, the army, and
the country. ..."
' On hearing of the death of his infant granddaughter, he snatches a
moment from his grave military duties, allows his horse to wait at the tent
door, while he pens a few lines of tender sympathy :
'■'Camp, Fredericksburg, loth December, 1S62. I heard yesterday,
my dear daughter, with the deepest sorrow, of the death of your infant.
I was so grateful at her birth. 1 felt that she would be such a comfort to
you, such a pleasure to my dear Fitzhugh, and would fill so full the void
still aching in your hearts. But now you have two sweet angels in heaven.
What joy there is in the thought ! What relief to your grief! What suf-
fering and sorrow they have escaped ! I can say nothing to soften the
anguish you must feel, and I know you are assured of my deep and affec-
tionate sympathy. May God give you strength to bear the afrliction He
has imposed, and produce future joy out of your present misery, is my
earnest prayer.
"I saw Fitzhugh yesterday. Fie is well, and wants to see you.
When you are strong enough, cannot you come to Hickory Hill, or your
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 443
grandpa's, on a little visit? My horse is waiting at my tent door, but I
could not refrain from sending these few lines, to recall to you the thought
and love of your devoted father."
While his son was recovering from a wound he was captured by a raid-
ing party and taken to Fort Monroe. His wife died during his confine-
ment. This letter was written to his son on his release and return to Rich-
mond :
"Camp, Orange County, April 24, 1864. I received last night, my
dear son, your letter of the 2 2d. It has given me great comfort. God
knows how I loved your dear, dear wife, how sweet her memory is to me,
and how I mourn her loss. My grief could not be greater if you had been
taken from me. You were both equally dear to me. My heart is too full
to speak on this subject, nor can I write. But my grief is for ourselvts,
not for her. She is brighter and happier than ever — safe from all evil, and
awaiting us in our heavenly abode. May God in His mercy enable us to
join her in eternal praise to our Lord and Saviour. Let us humbly bow
ourselves before Him, and offer perpetual prayer for pardon and forgiveness.
But we cannot indulge in grief, however mournfully pleasing. Our coun-
try demands all our strength, all our energies. To resist the powerful com-
bination now forming against us will require every man at his place. If
victorious, we have everything to hope for in the future. If defeated, noth-
ing will be left us to live for. I have not heard what action has been taken
by the department in reference to my recommendations concerning the
organization of the cavalry. But we have no time to wait, and you had
better join your brigade. This week will in all probability bring us active
work, and we must strike fast and strong. My whole trubt is in God, and
I am ready for whatever He may ordain. May He guide, guard, and
strengthen us, is my constant prayer."
This letter v.as written only a few years after his marriage : it is ad-
dressed to one of his relatives in Alexandria, an old play-fellow and school-
mate :
''St. Louis, 20th August, 1S3S. My dear Cassius and Cousin, I be-
lieve I once spoke to you on the subject of getting for me the crest, coat ot
arms, iScc, of the Lee family, and which sure enough you never did. My
object in making the request is for the purpose of having a seal cut witli the
impression of said coat, which I think is due from a man oi xa.)- large family
to his posterity, and which, I have thought, perhaps foolishly enough, might
as well be right as wrong. If therefore .you can assist me in this laudable
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444 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
<-V
enterprise, I shall be much obliged, and by enveloping it securely, directed
to me at this place, and sending it, either by mail or some safe hand, to
Gen' I Gratiot, Eng. office, Washington City, without any word or farther
direction, it will come safely to hand. I once saw in the hands of Cousin
Edmund, for the oniytime in my life, our family tree, and as I begin in my
old age to feel a little curiosity relative to my forefathers, their origin,
whereabouts, &c., any information you can give me will increase the obli-
gation. So sit down some of these hot evenings and write it off for me, or
at any rate the substance, and tell my Cousin Philippa not to let you forget
it. I wish you would at the same time undeceive her on a certain point, in
which as I understand, she is labouring under a grievous error. Tell her it
is the farthest from my wish to detract from any of the little Lees, but as to
her little boy being equal to Mr. Roone\\ it is a thing not to be even
supposed, much less believed, although in a credulous country where
people stick at nothing from a Coon story to a sea serpent ! You must
remember us particularly to her, to Uncle Edmund, Cousins Sally, Hannah
and all the Lloyds.
''I believe I can tell you nothing doing here that would interest you,
except that we are all well ; although my Dame has been complaining for a
day or two. The elections are all over. The Vanites have carried the day
in the State, although the Whigs in this district carried their entire ticket,
and you will have the pleasure of hearing the great expunger again thunder
from his place in the Senate against Banks, bribery and corruption, and
what not.
"While on the river I cannot help being on the look out for that
stream of Gold that was to ascend the Mississippi, tied up in silk nett
purses ! It would be a pretty sight, but the tide has not yet made up here.
Let me know v.-hether you can enlighten me on the point in question. And
believe me, yours very truly.'
"To C. F. Lee, Esqr., .Alexandria, D. C."
In the recent memoir of General Lee, written by his nephew. General
Fitzhugh Lee, a series of extracts are given from the General's letters to his
wife. Throughout these letters, he constantly expresses anxiety for the
sufferings of his soldiers from want of proper food and clothing. No one
can read these extracts without perceiving one of the causes for the almost
l)erfect adoration which liis men had for " Marse Bob," as they were wont
to style their commander.
Such expressions as these occur in letter after letter : . . . " We had
' Copied from the original.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 445
quite a snow day before yesterday, and last "night was very cold. It is
thawing this morning, though the water was freezing as I washed. I fear it
will bring much discomfort to our men who are barefooted and poorly clad.
I can take but little pleasure in my comforts for thinking of them." . . .
"... The quartermaster received the things you sent. The mitts will be
very serviceable. Make as many as you can obtain good material for. I
have everything I want." . . . On returning from a visit to Richmond, he
brought a bag of socks with him for his men, and wrote his wife : " I arrived
safely yesterday. There were sixty-seven pairs of socks in the bag I brought
up instead of sixty-four, as you supposed, and I found here three dozen pairs
of beautiful white-yarn socks, sent over by our kind cousin Julia and sweet
little Carrie, making one hundred and three pairs ; all of which I sent to the
Stonewall brigade. One dozen of the Stuart socks had double heels. Can
you not not teach Mildred [his youngest daughter] that stitch? They sent
me also some hams, which I had rather they had eaten. I pray that you
may be preserved and relieved from all your troubles, and that we may all
again be united here on earth and forever in heaven."
At another date: "Your note with the socks arrived last evening. I
have sent them to the Stonewall brigade; the number all right — thirty pairs.
Including this last parcel of thirty pairs, I have sent to that brigade two
hundred and sixty-three pairs. Still, there are about one hundred and forty
whose homes are within the enemy's lines and who are without socks. I
shall continue to furnish them till all are supplied. Tell the young women
to work hard for the brave Stonewallers." ... A few weeks later: "Your
note with the bag of socks reached me last evening. The number was
correct — thirty-one pairs. I have sent them to the Stonewall brigade,
which is not yet supplied. Sixty-one pairs from the ladies in Fauquier have
reached Charlottesville, and I hope will be distributed soon. Now that Miss
Bettie Brander has come to the aid of my daughters, the supply will soon
be increased."
From camp, under date of 24th of January, 1864, he again wrote to
his wife :
" I have had to disperse the cavalry as much as possible to obtain
forage for their horses, and it is that which causes trouble. Provisions for
men, too, are very scarce, and with very light diet and light clothing I fear
they suffer ; but still they are cheerful and uncomplaining. I received a
report from one division the other day in which it was stated that over four
hundred men were barefooted and over a thousand without blankets. . . ."
So, too, some time later he wrote: " I received your letter some days
ago, and last night your note accompanying a bag of gloves and socks and
Ill Vii.
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446 LEE OF VIRGINIA. '"''' '
a box of coffee. Mrs. Devereux sent the coffee to you, not to me, and I
shall have to send it back. It is so long since we have had the foreign bean
that we no longer desire it. We have a domestic article, which we procure
by the bushel, that answers very well. You must keep the good things for
yourself. We have had to reduce our allowance of meat one half, and some
days we have none. The gloves and socks are very acceptable, and I shall
give them out this morning. The socks of Mrs. Shepherd are very nice,
but I think it is better to give them to the soldiers than to dispose of them
as you suggest. The soldiers are mucli in need. AVe have received some
shoes lately, and the socks will be a great addition. Tell Life [his young-
est daughter] I think I hear her needles rattle as they fly through the
meshes."
In the winter of 1864 the following incident went the rounds of the
Southern press :
" One very cold morning a young soldier on the cars to Petersburg
was making fruitless efforts to put on his overcoat, with his arm in a sling.
His teeth, as well as his sound arm, were brought into use to effect the ob-
ject ; but in the midst of his efforts an officer rose from his seat, advanced
to him, and very carefully and tenderly assisted him, drawing the coat
gently over his wounded arm, and buttoning it comfortably; then, with a
few kind and pleasant words, returned to his seat.
"Now, the officer in question was not clad in gorgeous uniform, v.-ith
a brilliant wreath upon the collar and a multitude of gilt lines upon the
sleeves, resembling the famous labyrinth of Crete, but he was clad in a
'simple suit of gray,' distinguished from the garb of a civilian only by the
three stars which every Confederate Colonel is, by the regulations, entitled
to wear. And yet he was no other than our chief general, Robert E. Lee,
who is not braver than he is good and modest."
General Fitzhugh Lee also gives this: " The cavalry, for the better
subsistence of men and horses, had been moved back to Charlottesville for
the winter, and, not having much to do, some of the officers proposed to
dance. General Lee wrote to his son Robert, then belonging to that arm
of the service, from Camp, Orange Court House, 17th January, 1S64:
' I inclose a letter for you which has been sent to my care. I hope you
are all well and all around you. Tell Fitz I grieve over the hardships and
sufferings of the men in their late expedition. I would have preferred
his waiting for more favorable weather. He accomplished much under the
circumstances, but would have done much more in tavorable weather. I
am afraid he was anxious to_ get back to the ball. This is a bad time for
such things. We have too grave subjects on hand to engage in such trivial
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 447
amusements. I would rather his officers should entertain themselves in fat-
tening their horses, healing their men, and recruiting their regiments.
There are too many Lees on the committee. I like them all to be present
at battles, but can excuse them at balls. But the saying is, " Children will
be children." I think he had better move his camp farther from Charlottes-
ville, and perhaps he will get more work and less play. He and I are
too old for such assemblies. I want him to write me hcnv his men
are, his horses, and what I can do to fill up his ranks.' " {^General Lee,
324-5-)
The Hon. B. H. Hill, in a speech, said:
"Lee sometimes indulged in satire, to which his greatness gave point
and power. He was especially severe on newspaper criticisms of military
movements — subjects about which the writers knew nothing.
" ' We made a great mistake, Mr. Hill, in the beginning of our strug-
gle, and I fear, in spite of all we can do, it will prove to be a fatal mis-
take,' he said to me, after General Bragg had ceased to command the Army
of Tennessee, an event Lee deplored.
" ' What mistake is that, General?'
" 'Why, sir, in the beginning we appointed all our worst generals to
command the armies and our best generals to edit the newspapers. As
you know, I have planned some campaigns and quite a number of battles.
I have given the work all the care and thought I could, and sometimes,
when my plans were completed, as far as I could see, they seemed pert'ect.
But when I have fought them through I have discovered defects, and occa-
sionally wondered I did not see some of them in advance. When it was all
over I found by reading a newspaper that these best editor generals saw all
the defects plainly from the start. Unfortunately, they did not communi-
cate their knowledge to me until it was too late.' Then, after a pause, he
added, with a beautiful, grave expression I can never forget: 'I have no
ambition but to serve the Confederacy, and do all I can to win our inde-
pendence. I am willing to serve in any cajxacity to :\hich the au.thorities
may assign me. I have done the best I could in the field, and have not
succeeded as I could wish. I am willing to yield my place to these best
generals, and I will do my best for the cause editing a newspaper.'
" In the same strain he once remarked to one of his generals : ' Even
as poor a soldier as I am can generally discover mistakes after if is all over.
But if I could only induce these wise gentlemen who see them so clearly
beforehand to communicate with me in advance, instead of waiting until
the evil has come upon us, to let me know what they knm' all the time, it
»
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448 •' LEE OF VIRGINIA. '-A^
would be far better for my reputation and (what is of more consequence)
far better for the cause. ' " ^
" Upon one occasion, General Lee received a letter from some s[)irit-
rappers, asking his opinion on a certain great military movement. He
wrote, in reply, a most courteous letter, in which he said that the question
was one about which military critics would differ ; that his own judgment
about such matters was but poor at best, and that inasmuch as they had the
power to consult (through their mediums) Cc-esar, Alexander, Napoleon,
Wellington, and all of the other great captains who have ever lived, he
could not think of obtruding his opinion into such company." '
Of the final scene in the great struggle, Horace Greele}- has written :
"The parting of Lee with his devoted followers was a sad one. Of
the proud army, which, dating its victories from Bull Run, had driven
McClellan from before Richmond, and withstood his best efforts at Antietam,
and shattered Burnside's host at Fredericksburg, and worsted Hooker at
Chancellorsville, and fought Meade so stoutly, though unsuccessfully, before
Gettysburg, and baffled Grant's bounteous resources and desperate efforts
in the Wilderness, at Spottsylvania, on the North Anna, at Cold Harbor,
and before Petersburg and Richmond — a mere wreck remained. It is said
that 27,000 men were included in Lee's capitulation ; but of these not
more than 10,000 had been able to carry their arms thus far in their hoj-'C-
less and almost foodless flight." . . . The men " crowded around their de-
parting chief, who, with streaming eyes, grasped and pressed their out-
stretched hands, at length finding words to say: 'Men, we have fought
through the war together. I have done the best I could for you ; my heart
is too full to say more.' " His last official act was to request that all his
private soldiers, who owned the horses they used, might be allowed to carry
them home " for the spring plowing;" so, to the last, was the commander
thoughtful of the welfare of his men.
The v,-ar being over, what should General Lee do ? He had no home,
no fortune, no occupation. Numerous offers of high positions in various
corporations, and such like business ventures, were made to him; but none
were to his taste nor suited to his training. Finally, the trustees of Wash-
ington College offered him the presidency of that institution; the salary
was small, the place insignificant, but a home in the mountains of Virginia
suited his taste, and a desire to still be of use to his State in training her
1 Remin.'scfftces of General Robert E. Lee, by the Rev. J. William Jones, pp. 241-2.
' Ibid., p. 23^. .
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 449
young men, decided him. He entered upon his duties there in October,
1865, and steadily performed them for five years. Then his discharge
came.
Of his last illness and death. Colonel William Preston Johnston has
written a most graphic account.' Colonel Johnston was a professor at the
College, had been intimately associated with General Lee during the four
years of their mutual service, and was a watcher at his death-bed :
"The death of General Lee was not due to any sudden cause, but was
the result of agencies dating as far back as 1S63. In the trying campaign
of that year, he contracted a severe sore throat, that resulted in rheumatic
inflammation of the sac inclosing the heart. There is no doubt that after
this sickness his health was always more or less impaired ; and, although he
complained little, yet rapid exercise on foot or on horseback produced pain
and difficulty of breathing. In October, 1869, he was again attacked by
inflammation of the heart-sac, accompanied by muscular rheumatism of the
back, right side, and arms. The action of the heart was weakened by this
attack ; the flush upon his face was deepened, the rheumatism increased,
and he was troubled with weariness and depression."
" In March, 1870, General Lee, yielding to the solicitations of friends
and medical advisers, made a six weeks' visit to Georgia and Florida. He
returned greatly benefiied by the influence of the genial climate, the society
of friends in those States, and the demonstrations of respect and afl"ection
of the people of the South : his physical condition, however, was not
greatly improved. During this winter and spring he had said to his son.
General Custis Lee, that his attack was mortal ; and had virtually expressed
the same belief to other trusted friends. And now, with that delicacy that
pervaded all his actions, he seriously considered the question of resigning
the presidency of Washington College, ' fearful that he might not be equal
to his duties.' Atiev listening, however, to the affectionate remonstrances
of the Faculty and board of trustees, who well knew the value of his wisdom
in the supervision of the college, and the power of his mere presence and
example upon the students, he resumed his labors with the resolution to
remain at his post and carry forward the great work he had so auspiciously
begun.
"During the summer he spent some weeks at the Hot Springs of Vir-
ginia, using the baths, and came home seemingly better in health and
spirits. He entered upon the duties of the opening collegiate year in Sep-
'This description of General L^^e'-. last d.iys was prepared by Colonel Johnston for the Rentiniscencft
of General Rottrt £. Lee, edited by the Rev. J. William Jones.
29
'n.!
450 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
tember with that quiet zeal and noiseless energy that marked all his actions,
and an unusual elation was felt by those about him at the increased pros-
pect that long years of usefulness and honor would yet be added to liis
glorious life.
" Wednesday, the sSth of September, 1870, found General Lee at the
post of duty. In the morning he was fully occupied with the correspon-
dence and other tasks incident to his office of President of Washington
College, and he declined offers of assistance from members of the Faculty,
of whose services he sometimes availed himself. After dinner, at four
o'clock, he attended a vestry meeting of Grace (Episcopal) Church. The
afternoon was chilly and wet, and a steady rain had set in, which did not
cease until it resulted in a great flood, the most memorable and destructive
in this region for a hundred years. The church was rather cold and damp,
and General Lee, during the meeting, sat in a pew with his military cape
cast loosely about him. In a conversation that occupied the brief space
preceding the call to order, he took part, and told, with marked cheerful-
ness and kindliness of tone, some pleasant anecdotes of Bishop T^tleade and
Chief Justice Marshall. The meeting was protracted until after seven
o'clock, by a discussion touching the rebuilding of the church edifice and
the increase of the rector's salary. General Lee acted as chairman, and,
after hearing all that was said, gave his own opinion, as was his wont,
briefly and without argument. He closed the meeting with a characteristic
act. The amount required for the minister's salary still lacked a sum much
greater than General Lee's proportion of the subscription, in view of his
frequent and generous contributions to tb.e church and other charities ; but
just before the adjournment, when the treasurer announced the amount of
the deficit still remaining. General Lee said, in a low tone: 'I will give
that sum.' He seemed tired toward the close of the meeting, and, as
was afterward remarked, showed an unusual flush, but at the time no appre-
hensions were felt.
"General Lee returned to his house, and, finding his family waiting
tea for him, took his place at the table, standing to say grace. The effort
was vain, the lips could not utter the prayer of the heart. Finding himself
unable to speak, he took his seat quietly and without agitation*. His Hice
seemed to some of the anxious group about him to wear a look of sublinie
resignation, and to evince a full knowledge that the hour had come when
all the cares and anxieties of his crowded life were at an end. His pliysi-
cians, Drs. H. T. Barton and R. L. ^Ladison, arrived promptly and ap-
plied the usual remedies, and placed him upon the couch from which he was
to arise no more. To 'him henceforth the things of this world were as
: t :;\ v:
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 45 1
nothing, and he bowed with resignation to the command of the Master he
had followed so long with reverence.
"The symptoms of his attack resembled concussion of the brain, with-
out the attendant swoon. There were marked debility, a slightly impaired
consciousness, and a tendency to doze ; but no paralysis of motion or sen-
sation, and no evidence of softening or inflammation of the brain. His
physicians treated the case as one of venous congestion, and with apparently
favorable results. Yet, despite these propitious auguries drawn from his
physical symptoms, in view of the great mental strain he had undergone,
the gravest fears were felt that the attack was mortal. He took without
objection the medicines and diet prescribed, and was strong enough to turn
in bed without aid, and to sit up and take nourishment. During the
earlier days of his illness, though inclined to doze, he was easily aroused,
was quite conscious and observant, evidently understood whatever was said
to him, and answered questions briefly but intelligently ; he was, however,
averse to much speaking, generally using monosyllables, as had always been
his habit when sick. When first attacked, he said to those who were re-
moving his clothes, pointing at the same time to his rheumatic shoulder,
' You hurt my arm.' Although he seemed to be gradually improving until
October toth, he apparently knew from the first that the appointed hour
had come when he must enter those dark gates that, closing, reopen no
more to earth. In the words of his physician, 'he neither expected nor
desired to recover.' When General Custis Lee made some allusion to his
recovery, he shook h!: head and pointed upward. On the iSIonday morn-
ing before his death, Dr. Madison, finding him looking better, tried to
cheer him: ' How do you feel to-day, General?' General Lee replied,
slowly and distinctly : 'I feel better.' The doctor then said: 'You must
make haste and get well ; Traveller has been standing so long in the stable
that he needs exercise.' The General made no reply, but slowly shook his
head and closed his eyes. Several times during his illness he put aside his
medicine, saying, ' It is of no use ;' but yielded patiently to the wishes of
his physicians or children, as if the slackened chords of being still re-
sponded to the touch of duty or affection.
"On October loth, during the afternoon, his pulse became feeble and
rapid, and his breathing hurried, with other evidences of great exhaustion.
About midnight he was seized with a shivering from extreme debilit}', and
Dr. Barton felt obliged to announce the danger to the family. On Octo-
ber nth, he was evidently sinking ; his respiration was hurried, and his
pulse feeble and ra!>id. Though less observant, he still recognized who-
ever approached him, but refused to take anything unless presented by his
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45' LEE OF VIRGINIA.
physicians. It now became certain that the case was hopeless. His de-
cline was rapid, yet gentle, and soon after nine o'clock, on the morning of
October 12th, he closed his eyes, and his soul passed peacefully from
earth.
"General Lee's physicians attributed his death in great measure to
moral causes. The strain of his campaigns, the bitterness of defeat aggra-
vated by the bad faith and insolence of the victor, sympathy with the sub-
sequent sufferings of the Southern people, and the effort at calmness under
these accumulated sorrows, seemed the sufficient and real causes that slowly
but steadily undermined General Lee's health and led to his death. Vet
to those who saw his composure under the greater and lesser trials of life,
and his justice and forbearance with the most unjust and uncharitable, it
seemed scarcely credible that his serene soul was shaken by the evil that
raged around him.
" General Lee's closing hours were consonant with his noble and dis-
ciplined life. Never was more beautifully displayed how a long and severe
education of mind and character enables the soul to pass with equal step
through this supreme ordeal ; never did the habits and qualities of a life-
time, solemnly gathered into a few last sad hours, more grandly maintain
themselves amid the gloom and shadow of approaching death. The reti-
cence, the self-contained composure, the obedience to proper authority,
the magnanimity, and the Christian meekness, that mar'iced all his actions,
still preserved their sway, in spite of the inroads of disease, and the creep-
ing lethargy t'nat weighed down his faculties.
"As the old hero lay in the darkened room, or with the lamp and
hearth-fire casting shadows upon his calm, noble front, all the massive
grandeur of his form, and face, and brow, remained ; and death seemed to
lose its terrors, and to borrow a grace and dignity in sublime keeping with
the life that was ebbing away. The great mind sank to its last repose,
almost with the equal poise of health. The few broken utterances that
evinced at times a wandering intellect were spoken under the influence of
the remedies administered; but as long as consciousness lasted there was
evidence that all the high, controlling influences of his whole life still
ruled ; and even when stupor was laying its cold hand on the intellectual
perceptions, the moral nature, with its complete orb of duties and affections,
still asserted itself. A Southern poet has celebrated in song those last sig-
nificant words, ' Strike the tent;' and a thousand voices were raised to give
meaning to the uncertain sound, when the dying man said, with emphasis,
' Tell Hill he ?m4st come up !' These sentences serve to show most touch-
ingly through what fields the imagination was passing ; but generally his
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 453
words, though few, were coherent ; but for the most part indeed his silence
was unbroken.
"This self-contained reticence had an awful grandeur, in solemn
accord with a life that needed no defense. Deeds which required no justi-
fication must speak for hira. His voiceless lips, like the shut gates of some
majestic temple, were closed, not for concealment, but because that within
was holy. Could the eye of the mourning watcher have pierced the gloom
that gathered about the recesses of that great soul, it would have perceived
a Presence there full of an ineffable glory. Leaning trustfully upon the
all-sustaining Arm, the man whose stature, measured by mortal standards,
seemed so great, passed from this world of shadows to the realities of the
hereafter."
General Lee married Mary Anne Randolph Custis, the only daughter of
George Washington Parke Custis and Mary Lee Fitzhugh, his wife. Mary
Custis was born at Arlington the ist of October, iSoS, and died at her
home in Lexington the 5th of Xovember, 1S73. ^'^^ ^^'^s buried in the
College chapel, with her daughter, Agnes, and her husband.
Of his wedding let another speak : ' " He was in love from boyhood.
Fate brought him to the feet of one who, by birth, education, position, and
family tradition, was best suited to be his life companion. . . . They had
known each other when she was a child at Arlington and he a young boy in
Alexandria, some eight miles away. It is said she met and admired him
when he came back to Alexandria on a furlough from tlie Militar\- .\cademy.
It was the first time any one in that vicinity had seen him in his cadet uni-
form. He was handsomer than ever; straight, erect, symmetrical in form,
with a finely shaped head on a pair of broad shoulders. He was then
twenty years old, and a fine specimen of a West Point cadet on leave of
absence. The imi)ressions produced were of an enduring nature, and the
officer, upon graduation, followed up the advantage gained by the attrac-
tive cadet.
"G. W. P. Custis was the adopted son of Vs'ashington and tlie grand-
son of Mrs. Washington. Lee was, therefore, to marry a great grand-
daughter of Mrs. Washington, and was a fortunate man, not so much, per-
haps, from these ties, but because of the great qualities of head and heart
possessed by Mary Custis, his affianced bride. It is difficult to say whether
she was more lovely on that memorable June evening, when the Rev. Mr.
Keith asked her, ' Wilt thou take this man to be thy wedded husliand ?'
or after many years had passed, and she was seated in her large arm-chair
' General Ltt, by Fitzhugh Lee, pp. 25-37.
.. ' ■.iff .• ■/
454 ■ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
in Richmond, almost unable to move from chronic rheumatism, bnt busilv
engaged in knitting socks for the sockless Confederate soldiers. The pui-
lic notice of the marriage was short :
*' * Married, 30th June, 1831, at Arlington House, by tlie Rev. Mr.
Keith, Lieutenant- Robert E. Lee, of the United States Corps of Engineers,
to Miss Mary A. R. Custis, only daughter of G. ^V. P. Custis, Esq.'
" Beautiful old Arlington was in all her glory that night. The statelv
mansion never held a happier assemblage. ' Its broad portico and wide-
spread wings held out open arms, as it were, to welcome the coming guests.
Its simple Djric columns graced domestic comforts with a classic air. lis
halls and chambers were adorned with the patriots and heroes, and with
illustrations and relics of the great Revolution and of the '• Father of his
Country." Without and within history and tradition seemed to breathe
their legends upon a canvas as soft as a dream of peace.' "
The bridal attendants, on this occasion, consisted of: first. Miss
Catharine Mason and Lieutenant Sydney Smith Lee ; second. Miss Mary
Goldsborough and Lieutenant Thomas Kennedy; third, Miss Marietta
Turner and Lieutenant Chambers; fourth, Miss Angela Lewis and Mr. Till-
man ; fifth, Mi^s Julia Calvert and Lieutenant Prentiss; sixth, Miss Brit-
annia Peter and Lieutenant Thomas Turner. This wedding occurred before
the fashion of '-wedding trips" came into vogue; the festivities of the
evening were concluded by a handsome supper, and u-ere continued until
the evening of the following Monday (the wedding took place on Thurs-
day).
For many years, prior to her death, Mrs. Lee suffered extremely from
chronic rheumatism, which crippled her so much that she could scarcely use
her hands, and confined her for years to the chair of an invalid. Vet no
one could have been more cheerful or less complaining. In a letter to the
late Cassius F. Lee, Sr., under date of 3d of January, 1S72, she wrote of
herself: " I have been intending, my dear Cassius, ever since your son
Edmund came, to write to you and tell }0U how pleased we -.vere to see
him-; but a long and severe attack of rheumatisni has prevented m_\- writing.
I can only wriie a {^w lines at a time, and even now I can scarcely use my
pen at all. He lives quite near us and looks remarkably well and Custis
tells me is doing well, is quite studious. He comes to see us often and
always looks bright and cheerful. I do hope he will fulfill all your hopes
and exp^ectations. You must give our loves to his mother and all your
family. I hope you have all enjoyed this Christmas and Xew Year. It has
been an unusually sad one to me. Besides my painful sickness, during that
time Fitzhugh lost his youngest child of whooping cough, a lovely little
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 455
girl of one year old, whom I had been looking forward to enjoy so much
this winter when I exj^ected to go down. I do not think in all my life I
ever endured so tedious and painful an attack of illness and you will see
since this illness I can scarcely use my pen at all. . . .
"The weather is so uncomfortable that I have relinquished all idea of
going to the White House. Agnes and Mildred went there from Bob's
wedding; Mildred has been suffering much from a sprained ankle, which
still continues. Mary and Custis alone are with me here. We read the
genealogical book but could not add anything to it. It was much fuller
than anything we have_. which is mostly obtained from that letter of Mr.
Thomas [William ?] Lee. We have all been much disappointed at the
delay in bringing out the ' Memorial ' volume and fear it will not be any
advantage to its circulation. Mary says she has no doubt thai my aunt,
Mrs. Fitzhugh, c'.)uld tell you all about the connection of Fitzhughs and
Lees; tell her, if you should see her, that I am waiting to get mv hand
steadier before I write to her. What about Arlington? Can anything be
done this winter? I feel so weak and miseral)le that the things of earth
seem passing away and losing their value and inlerest. I suppose, though,
if God should restore me to my wonted health, the interest would return.
I do not think I could write another line. Tell me of my friends, of your
daughters and all. Especial love to Dr. Packard. Yours affectionately."
General Robert E. Lee had the following-named children :
i, George Washington Custis \ See 75.
ii, ^LARv Custis ', li\ing and unmarried.
iii, William Henry Fitzhugh". See 76,
iv, Annie Carter', born at Arlington, the iSth of June, 1S39 ; died at
the White Sulphur Springs, Warren county, North Carolina, the 20th
of October, 1S62. A beautiful monument has been erected over her
grave by the citizens of Waircu county; it was unveiled, willi ai)pro-
priate ceremony, tlie Stli of August, 1866. General Lee was obliged
to deny hiuiselt ilie mournful ;~atisfaction of being present :.i the dedi-
cation. He wrote to the ladies ha\ing it in charge : "... I do not
know how to express to you my thanks for }our great kindness to her
while living, and for your affectionate remembrance of her since dead.
... I have always cherished the intention of visiting tlie tomb of her
who never gave me aught but pleasure ; but to afford me the satisfac-
tion which I crave, it must be done with more privacy than I can hope
for on the occasion you propose. ..."
V, Eleanor Agnes', born at "Arlington" about 1S4::; died at Lex-
ington, 15th October, 1S73.
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456 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
vi, Robert Edward ^ See 77.
vii, Mildred Childe\ living and unmarried.
THE CUSTIS FAMILY.
<)>B
John Custis, of Irish birth, came from Rotterdam to Virginia, and
settled in Northampton county as early as 1640. He left six sons : Thomas,
of Baltimore, Ireland; Edward, of London ; Robert, of Rotterdam; John,
William, and Joseph, of Virginia. His son John was Sheriff of North-
ampton in 1664, and " was an active, enterprising man, engaged in making
salt on one of the islands ; was foremost in all civil and ecclesiastical matters ;
was appointed, in 1676, during Bacon's Rebellion, a major-general; was a
true royalist ; a law and order man ; a great favorite of Lord Arlington
in the time of Charles II. ; he was twice married ; his second wife was a
daughter of Col. Edmund Scarborough. He died at an advanced age,
after having been full of labours through life." This John Custis was
one of the vestry of Hungars Parish, and "presented sets of heavy silver
Communion service to both churches, upper and lower, of Northampton ;
and when the lower church was built, in 16S0, near which was his residence,
he promised to give the builder one hogshead of tobacco, or its equivalent,
and thirty gallons of cider to put up for him the first pew (the best, I sup-
pose) in the church." ..." He had only one son, whom he named John.
This John Custis had numerous children, whose descendants, together with
those of his uncle William Custis, have filled the Eastern Shore with
the name. His son John, being the fourth of the name, after being edu-
cated in England, received from his grandfather the Arlington estate. He
was the John Custis who removed to Williamsburg and married the daughter
of Col. Daniel Parke and was the father of the Daniel Parke Custis, who
married Martha Dandridge. His tomb is at Arlington House, in North-
ampton, and the inscription is one of the curiosities of the Eastern Shore.
It is plainly to be seen from it that he was not very happy in his matri-
monial relations ; for it says that he only lived seven years — those seven
which he had sr>ent as a bachelor at Arlington. His wife, it is to be feared,
was too much like her brother and unlike her father." (^OLi Churches,
Fa }f I Hies, cr-v. , I. 257, 262.)
The will of the " Honourable John Custis, Esq., of the City of Wil-
liamsburg and County of James City in the Colony of A^irginia " (dated
the 14th November, 1749, proved at London on 19th November, 1753)
desired his executor to lay out ;£ioo tor a handsome tombstone of the best
durable marble, " very decent and handsome to lay over my body, en-
graved on the tombstone my coat of arms, w'nich are three porrots, and m}'
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 45.^
will is that the following inscription may also be handsomely engraved on
the said ston':- vi/.t."
•'Under this Marble Stone lyes the Body of the Honourable John
Custis Esquire of the City of Williamsburg and parish of Bruton, formerly
of Hun^ois I'arish on the Eastern Shear of Virginia and County of North-
ampton the p>l3ce of his Nativity, Aged — [71] years and yet lived but seven
years wliich was the space of time he kept a Batchelors House at Arlington
on the Eastern Shoar of Virginia. This Inscription put on this Stone by
his own possitive Orders."
To insure faithful observance of his orders regarding his burial and
the subsequent care of the tomb, he added : " And if ni}- heir should
ingratefully or obstinately refuse or neglect to comply with what relates to
my Buria! in every particular then I bar and cut him off from any part of
ray estate." He also left to "his dear friend Thomas Lee Esquire, if liv-
ing at my doath, ,/!"2oo to l-uy him any one thing he has a mind to remem-
ber me." His son, Daniel Parke Custis named as sole legatee and ex-
ecutor.
"The fallowing letter of young Custis to his intended bride, written a
few months before their marriage, in which, according to the custom of the
time, he calls her his ' Fidelia,' is a fair specimen of ]>assionate love letters
in the old colonial days. Its tone is quite different from that which char-
acterizes the inscription upon his tomb, in which he so pointedly, though
indirectly aft'irms, that his life, while he lived with his ' Fidelia,' was so un-
happy that he considered it a blank in his existence :
"'Williamsburg, 4th February, 1705.
"' May angels guard my dearest Fidelia and deliver her safe to my
arms at our next meeting ; and sure they won't refuse their protection to a
creature so pure and cliarming, it would be easy for them to mistake her for
one of tb.emsr:lves. If you could but believe how entirely you p^ossess the
empire of my heart, you would easily credit me, when I tell you, that I can
neither llAvA^ iior so much as dream of any other subject than the enchant-
ing Fidelia. You will do nie wrong if you suspect that there ever was a
man created that loved with more tenderness and sincerity than I do, and I
should do )uii wrong if I could imagine that there ever was a nymj^h that
deserved it better than you. Take this for granted, and then fancy how
uneasy I am like to be under the unhappiness of your absence. Figure to
yourself what tumults there \\il! arise in my blood, what a fluttering of the
spirits, wliat a di'^Drder of the pulse, what passionate wishes, what absence
of thought, and what crowding of sighs, and then imagine how unfit I
shall be for business ; but returning to the dear cause of my uneasiness ; O
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458 LEE OF VIRGINIA. 459
the torture of six months' expectation ! If it must be so long and ne-
cessity will till then interpose betwixt you and my inclinations, I must
submit, though it be as unwilling as pride submits to superior virtue, or
envy to superior success. Pray think of me, and believe that Veramour is
entirely and eternally yours.' " (^Recollections of Washington, by G. W. P.
Custis, 16, 17.)
•' Fidelia " was Frances, eldest daughter of Colonel Daniel Parke, whom
he married in 1706. Mrs. Custis died after a short time of small-pox,
leaving two children, a son and a daughter. The father, " the Hon. Daniel
Parke, whose name stands first, in 1674, on the list of the vestry of Bruton
Church, at ^^'ilIiamsburgh, was t'rom the county of Surry, England. A tablet
to his memory was placed in the first church at Williamsburgh, and after-
ward transferred to the second. He appears to have been a man of worth
and distinction. He married a ^Nliss Evelyn. ... It could be wislied that
the record of Daniel Parke, his son, whose name is also on the vestry book,
were as worthy of notice. He was indeed more notorious than his father
but for other reasons." {_Oid Churches, Families, <^c., I, iSo.)
Col. Parke, the elder, was Secretary of the Colonial Council ; he died
in 1679, and was buried at Williamsburg. The son, here referred to by
Bishop Meade, was born in York county, A'irginia ; he married Jane,
daughter of Governor Philip Ludwell by his first wife, Lucy, daughter of
Robert Higginson (and widow successively of Major Lewis Burwell and
Col. William Bernard). This Daniel Parke, 'it is said, had a very violent
temper and was of licentious habits, so much so that he was compelled to
leave Virginia and settle in England ; later, he was appointed an aide upon
the staff of Marlborough and had the honor of conveying to London the
news of the victory of Blenheim. Queen Anne rewarded him by the
present of her miniature set ^\ith diamonds. Through influence at court,
he was apjjointed governor of the Leeward Islands; while gallantly defend-
ing himself from a mob there, lie lost his life, 7th December, 17 10. He
left two daughters; Frances married, as stated, John Cusiis ; the other
daughter, Lr.cy, married Col. \\'illiam Byrd, of " Westover," and, curiously
enough, she, too, died of small-pox, her death occurring at London, in
1716.
John and Frances (Parke) Custis had two children ; the son, Daniel
Parke Custis, " was born at ' Queene's Creek,' according to a record in
the family Bible, at Arlington, on the 15th of October. 1711. There is
also a record there that ' Governor Spottswood, the Honourable William
Bvrd, Esqr., and Mrs. Hannah Ludwell, were godfathers and godmother.' "
In 1749, Daniel Parke Custis married the beautiful Martha Dandridge,
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 459
daughter of John Dandridge, of New Kent county, and died in 1757,
leaving four children : Daniel Parke, Francis Parke, John Parke, and
Martha Parke C'lstis. The two eldest died while young; Martha died at
Mt. Vernon on the 19th of June, 1773. Mrs. Custis married George
Washington on the 6th of January, 1759; she ^vas born in >Iay, i 733-, and
died, at Mt. Vernon, the 22d of May, 1S02. **"* 2 •-•';> 1
John Parke Custis was, therefore, the only child of this marriage to
leave issue; he was born at the '• White House," on the Pamunkey River,
in New Kent county, in 1753: died at " Elthaui," the residence of his
maternal uncle, Burwell Bassett. on the 5th of November, 17S1. He had
married, on the 3d of February, 1774, Eleanor, the second daughter of
Benedict Calvert, of ^"Mt. Airy," Prince George's county, Md., a son of
Charles Calvert, h4xih- Lord Baltimore, and gfeat-grandson of Benedict
Calvert, fourth Lord Baltimore, who married, in 1698, Lady Charlotte
Fitzroy, daughter of Edward Henry Lee, first Earl of Litchfield.^ The
young couple lived for some time at Mt. Vernon, and then moved to
"Abingdon," on the Potomac, a short distance above Alexandria, where
their three older children were born. It is said that Eleanor Calvert was
only sixteen at the time of her marriage ; nor was the husband much older,
having not yet reached his twentieth year. On the 3d of April, 1773,
General V\'ashington wrote to Mr. Calvert, entering a protest against the
union of the young people : ". . . My son-in-law and ward, Mr. Custis,
has, as I have been informed, paid his addresses to your second daughter,
and, having made some progress in her affections, has solicited her in mar-
riage. How far a union of this sort may be agreeable to you, you can best
tell; but I should think myself wanting in candor, were I not to confess,
that Miss Nelly's amiable qualities are acknowledged on all hands, and that
an alliance with your family will be pleasing to his. This acknowledge-
ment being made, you must permit me to add, sir, tliat at ihis, or in any
short time, his youth, inexperience, and unripened education, are, and will
be, insuperable obstacles, in my opinion, to the completion of the mar-
riage. ... It may be expected of me, perhaps, to say something of
property ; but, to descend to particulars, at this time, must seem premature.
In general, therefore, I shall inform you, that Mr. Custis's estate consists
of about 15.000 acres of land, a good part adjoining the city of Williams-
burg, and none of it forty miles from that place; several lots in the said
city ; between two and three hundred negroes ; and about eight or ten
' Sir Edward Henry Lee, of Ditchley, was created Earl of Litchlield in 1674 ; he wai descended from
the Lees of " QuarremJon," and w.is not, so far as known, in any way related to the Lees of Shropshire,
from whom tiiose of \ irginia are descended.
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460 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' '
thousand pounds upon bond, and in the hands of his merchants. This es-
tate he now holds, independent of his mother's dower, which will be an
addition to it.ot her death ; and^ upon the whole, it is such an estate as
you will readily acknowledge, ought to entitle him to a handsome portion
with a wife."
In spite of Washington's protest the young couple had their way, and
were married the next )ear. Their union was very brief, for Air. Custis
died in 1781, leaving four 3oung children. His widow remarried, takintr
for her second husband Dr. David Stuart, and died the 28th of April,
181 1, having had seven children by her second husband (see p. 95). Mr.
Custis' children were: Elizabeth Parke, born the 21st of August, 1776; she
married a Mr. Law. Martha Parke, born the 31st of December, 1777;
married early in life Mr. Thomas Peter. Eleanor Parke, born the 21st of
March, 1779 j '• Nelly Custis," as she has always been known, was a great
beauty, and much of a favorite with her step-father. She married on 22d
of February, i 799, Lawrence Lewis, a favorite nephew of the General's,
being a son of Fielding Lewis and Elizabeth Washington. Their fourth
child was George Washington Parke Custis, who was born at " Mt. .\iry "
on the 30th of .\pril, 17S1, six months before the death of his father.
General Washington, immediately on hearing of the death of the father,
said: "I adopt the two younger children as my own," and Mt. A'ernon
was thereafter their home. Mr. Custis has always been known as " the child
of Mt. Vernon," and it has been said that his "•■ Grandmamma alwavs spoiled "
him. After the death of Mrs. Washington, in 1S02. 2\Ir. Custis moved to
Arlington, ^ opposite Washington, which mansion he built. He married,
in 1S06, Mary Lee, daughter of Col. William and Anne (Randolph) Fitz-
hugh, of "Chatham," and had four children, only one of whom survived
infancy. This daughter, Mary Anne Randolph Custis, married Robert E.
Lee, as stated. Mrs. Custis was born the 2 2d of April, 178S, and died the
23d of April, 1S53. Mr. Custis died the 10th of October, 1S57, "known
and honored by b.is fellow-countrymen. FJis departure awakened prufound
regret." They were buried in a beautiful grove near the Arlington House,
where their remains still rest. Of Mrs. Custis, e\ery one who kneNv her has
spoken in the highest terms. Bishop Meade wrote; " But I must not lay
down my pen, though my heart bleed at ils further use, without the tribute
of atTection, of gratitude, and reverence to one who was to me as a sister,
mother, and faithful monitor. Mrs. Mary Cusiis, of Arlington, the wife of
Mr. Washington Custis, the grandson of Mrs. General Washington, was the
'Named after the olJer Custis mansion in Norlhamptou county, on the Eastern Shore.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENEKATION. 461
daughter of Mr. William Fitzhugh, of 'Chatham.' Scarcely is there a
lady in our land more honored than she was, and none more loved and
esteemed. For good sense, j^rudence, sincerity, benevolence, nnaftected
piety, disinterested zeal in every good work, deep humility, and retiring
modesty, I never knew her superior. ' ' ( O/i/ Families, Omrches, c^'c. , II, 1 96. )
For many years Mr. Custis dispensed a generous hospitality at Arling-
ton, his visitors being very numerous, consisting of the most distinguished
Europeans and Americans of his time. The mansion at Arlington was stored
with the most precious relics of the " Pater Patria.'," some of which are yet
in the possession of the family, but many of them were stolen from the
house in the early days of the late civil war. The few relics that were
overlooked by individual depredators were seized by government oflicials
as the rightful spoils of war, and are still exhibited in the National
Museum at Washington, labelled, '' Taken from Arlington.'''' Probably
Washington hardly anticipated that the time would ever come when
the government he had done so much to establish would "take" the
heirlooms he had bequeathed to his adopted son. On this subject General
Lee wrote to a riiember of Congress, under date oi 12th of February,
1S69 : " . . . Mrs. Lee has determined to act upon your suggestion, and
apply to President Johnson for such of the relics from Arlington as are
in the Patent Office. From what I have learned, a great many things
formerly belonging to General Washington, bequeathed to her by her
father, in the shape of books, furniture, camp equipage, etc., were carried
away by individuals, and are now scattered over the land. I ho})e the pos-
sessors appreciate them, and may imitate the example of their original owner,
whose conduct must at times be brought to their recollection by these silent
monitors. In this way they will accomijlish good to the country." Later,
when Mrs. Lee's application had been refused, and styled by a committee
of Congress as "an insult to the loyal people of the United .states," the
General wrote: "... Had I conceived the view taken by Congress I
would have endeavored to have dissuaded Mrs. Lee from app.lving for
them. It may be a question with some whether the retention of these
articles is 'more an insult,' in the language of the Committee on Pub-
lic Buildings, ' to the loyal people of the United States,' than their restora-
tion ; but of this I am willing that they should be the judge; and, since
Congress has decided to keep them, she must submit."
Robert Eden Lee.
51. Robert Eden', the sixth son of Charles Lee* (Henry*, Henry',
Richard', Richard') and Margaret (Scott) Peyton, his second wife, was
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462 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
born at " Gordonsdalo," Fauquier county, the 7th of September, iSio;
was killed at Warrenton, 24th of July, 1S43. He was married, on
the 9th of October, 1S35, to Margaret Gordon, daughter of Judge John
and Elizabeth (Pickett) Scott; she was born in ]May, 181 7, and died in
May, 1866. No issue.
His will, dated the 29th of March, 1S42, and probated in Rankin
county, Miss., was as follows:
I, Robert E. Lee, do make, declare and publish this my last Will and Testament, re-
voking all others. I will and bequeath to my wite Margaret Gordon Lee all my property of
every kind and description, real, personal and mixed, wherever the same may be siti:ated, to
have and hold the same for her sole use and benefit, absolutely and in fee simple. I confimi
to my brother Alfred Lee the Land in Fairfax County, Virginia, to which I have already
made him title, in tee simple, and release him from all and any obligation he may feel under,
to pay any consideration for the same ; it having been my intention to give him the Land
aforesaid in Fairfax. I appcintthe Honorable John Scott, of Oakwood, and my v.-ife Mar-
garet Gordon Lee, Executor and Executrix of this my last Will and Testament, to qualify
and to act jointly or separately as they may think proper ; and it is my will and de.siie that
neither of them shall be required to give bond for the performance of his or her executorial
trust. All written with my own hand, and sealed, and published, &c."
Margaret Gordon Lee, in her will, of date of 20th February, and pro-
bated, in Fauquier count}-, 31st INIay, 1866, left to her nieces Ann Morson
Scott and Susan Morson Scott, some money, which in case they married
was to be secured " by strict settlement to their sole, separate use and en-
joyment, from the debts, liabilities and contracts and control of the hus-
band." ..." The residue of my estate I give unto my brother, ?\Iartin
P. Scott, my nephew John Scott, son of my brother Robert E. Scott, dec'd,
and my nephew R. T. Scott, their heirs forever, to be equally divided. I
charge my said brother and my said nephews with an annuity of five hun-
dred dollars, to be paid by them to my brother, John Scott, as long as he
.shall live." She alsij left to her nieces " such sum or sums of money as
may be received upon my claim for damages against the United States Gov-
ernment for injury done to my property by the Federal Armies during the
late war with the Southern States, which I claim should be paid as 1 was
always loyal and true to the United States, (Sec."
; , Colonel Richard Bland Lee. . •. 1
52. Richard BLAND^ the eldest son of Richard Bland Lee* (Henry*,
Henry \ Richard', Richard^) and Elizabeth Collins, his wife, was born at
"Sully," Fairfax county, the 20th of July, 1797; died at Alexandria, the
2d of August, ivS75 ; he was married, on the 23d of November, 1S26. to
Julia .\nna Marion, daugliter of William Prosser, of 'MVhite Marsh,"
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 463
Gloucester county ; Mr. Prosser had been a prosperous merchant of Rich-
mond, but later moved to Gloucester, where he died. She was born at
Richmond in iSo6, and died at Washington on the 2d of July, 1S82 ; both
were buried at Alexandria.
Richard Bland Lee entered the Military Academy at West Point on
the 7th of May, 1814, and graduated on the 17th of July, 1817, ninth in a
class of thirty graduates; he was appointed third lieutenant in the artillery
corps, on 17th of July, and second lieutenant, 24th November, 1817;
first lieutenant, jd artillery, on the reorganization of the army, ist June,
1821 ; brevet captain, for ten years' faithful service in one grade, 31st Oc-
tober, 1S29. During these years, he had been stationed on garrison
duty at various forts, and at the school of artillery practice. He was in-
vited by General Cass, then Secretary of War, to take charge, as military
conductor, of the caravan of Santa Fe traders, to ascertain the condition
of the tribes of Indians occupying the Rocky Mountains, and to arrange
some method of communication between them and the government. Hav-
ing conducted the caravan to Santa Fe, through roving bands of hostile
Indians, and finding at that place no means of communicating with the
tribes, nor of obtaining reliable mformation as to their condition, at his
own expense he raised and equipped a party for the first attempt at a
"winter exploration of the mountains; an undertaking then considered by
the most experienced hunters as very impracticable. On the 15th of No-
vember, 1832, he penetrated the northern portion of New Mexico, and ex-
plored the extensive region of the head-waters of the Rio del Norte to the
South Park, and as far west as the base of Salt Mountain ; crossed the
Green River near its entrance into the great canon. Thence, through the
valley of the Green River, across the spur of mountains to the confluence of
the Little Snake and Little Bear Rivers, both of which he explored to their
head-waters. Near the head of Little Snake River, he crossed the grand
divide of the eastern and western waters, striking Sweet Water River near
the South Pass to great Salt Lake, and near the base of Wind River Moun-
tain. Thence across the Platte and Medicine Bow Rivers, watering the
valleys of the Black Hills, and the eastern slope of the mountains, and
crossing several torks of the Platte and Arkansas Rivers, he reached Santa
Fe, via Teas, on the 15th of June, 1S33. He had, in the period of seven
months, explored an area over 1.200 miles in extent, visited six tribes of
Indians, with whom he entered into friendly relations, and arranged plans
for communicating between them and the government.
On the outbreak of the " Florida War," against the Seminole Indians,
Richard Bland Lee entered the field as a first lieutenant, and served succes-
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464 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' / /.
sively with Generals Clinch and Scott, and Governor Call. During the-e
campaigns, he saw more active service, \vas more under fire, and lost more
men, killed and wounded, tlun any officer who served with those armies.
General Clinch, on retiring from command, wrote him a complimentary
letter of thanks. . He was st.-lected by General Scott to command the storm-
ing party, who were to force the passage of the Withlacooche ; his party
were, on this occasion, the only portion of the troops under fire; for his
gallant conduct in this attack, he received the commendations of the Gen-
eral in the presence of the army. Under Governor Call, lie v.-as assigned
to the command of Fort Micanopy, the most important barrier between the
Indians and the settlers; while in command there, he had three successful
encounters with the Indians led by Oceola in person. Was brevetted
Major "for gallantry and good conduct," 9th June, 1836; was twice
wounded and in consequence compelled to leave Florida. Governor Call
wrote him. a letter of thanks for his efficient services uhile serving in
Florida.
Upon reaching Washington, by appointment of the President and in
the presence of the Secretary of War, the General-in-chief, and several
officers invited for the occasion, he received the compliments of President
Jackson, who declared that his fights in front of Fort Micanopy were the
most creditable events of the war. At the beginning of the Mexican War,
Major Lee ofi*ered his services to the commi.ssary general to take the field ;
but General Gibson declined ihe offer, preferring that he should remain on
duty at St. Louis, where he could be more useful. For several years, he
served as chief commissary for the Pacific division; part of the time on
special service in California and Oregon. He explored the region from the
head of Puget Sound to the mouth of the Columbia River ; also the country
from San Francisco, between the Coast Range and the ocean, to the bound-
ary of Me.xico, near the head of the Gulf of California. Having arranged
a system of supply in accordance with General Persifer Smith's views, he
was directed to visit the Saniiwicii Islands, to pu.rchase supplies, and thence
to the South American Strites on the Pacific. Upon returning to ^Vashing-
ton, after completing these duties, he was complimented by General Gibson
for the satisfactory manner in which he had accomplished his v.ork.
When Virginia seceded, Major Lee resigned from the army, 9th May,
186 1, and was appointed a lieutenant-colonel in the commissariat of the
Confederate service; took an active part in the battle of Shiloh, under
General Beauregard, where he had his horse shot under him.
Richard }'.land and Julia .-\nna Marion (Prosscr) Lee had twelve chil-
dren, of v.hom three died young. The following are now living:
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 465
i, Mary Elizabeth", born the 19th of August. 1827, at •' White Mar,.h,"
Gloucester county; was married, on the 2d of June, 1S47, to Dr.
Robert Fleming Fleming, the eldest son of Thomas Fleming and
Clarissa Tilghman Walton, of Charleston, S. C. ; Dr. Fleming died at
Alexandria, the 19th of August, 1871, and left these six children: i,
Richard Bland Lee, born at St. Louis, Mo., the 13th of August, 1S48;
married, on the 3d of January, 18S2, Harriet Jane, elde.-t daughter of
Robert Henry Downm.an, and Fanny Scott Horner, his wife, of War-
renton ; she was born the 7th of November, 1S59 ; they have four
children : Frances Lee, Mary Elizabeth Lee, Roberta Duwnman, and
Clarissa Walton. 2, Thomas, born at St. Louis, the 26th of January,
1851 ; married Grace, daughter of William H. Irwin, of Alexandria,
and has five children ; Thomas, W. H. Irwin, Robert Fleming, J.
Paton, and Mary Lee. 3, Robert Fleming, born at St. Louis, the 20th
of January, 185S; is unniarried. 4, Alfred Walton, born at Wash-
ington, D. C, the 31st of August, 1861 ; married Gay Bernard Rob-
ertson, of Richmond, and has one son, Alfred Walton. 5, Julia Pros-
ser, born at St. Louis, the ist of December, 1863 ; married McKenzie
Goldsborough, of Maryland, and has two sons : Lee Kennedy and
Philip Francis. 6, Clarissa Tilghman, born at Alexandria, the 2d of
July, 1S6S ; married Henry Herbert Balch, of Xew York, and has two
children : Henry Herbert and Clarissa Anne.
ii, Julia Eustis ^, is unmarried.
iii, Evelina PR05SER^ born at St. Louis, Mo., the 24th of September,
1832; was married, at Washington, D. C, on the 14th of July,
1S53, to Edwin Cecil Morgan, who was born in St. Mary's county,
Md., the 9th of February, 1S27; died, at Washington, D. C, the
29th of July, 1S67 ; they had six sons, four of whom died in early in-
fancy; the two surviving are: (2) Edwin Lee, born at Washington,
D. C, on the 29th of September, 1S55; married, at same place, on
the loth of October, 1893, Mary Garland Van Zandt. of Wa.^hinginn.
(5) William Prosser, born at Washington, D. C, on tlic 25th of May,
1861.
iv, Richard Bland \ See 78.
V, Anna Cornelia", married, on the 19th of December, T.S65, to Dr.
Robert Stockton Johnston Peebles, who v.as born at Petersburg, Va.,
and was a son oi' Dr. John Frederick and Helena Stockton (Johnston)
Peebles, of that city. He was educated at the Unive;'>ity of Penn-
sylvania and at the Medical College of \'irginia; served during the late
civil war as a surgeon in the Confederate army, both in the field and on
30
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466 LEE OF VIRGINIA. , .t
>
hospital duty ; after the war he was elected professor of Materia Medica
and Chemistry ia the Medical College of Virginia, at Richmond, which
])Osition he resigned about a year before his death. He died at Rich-
mond the 30th of March, 1S73, aged 34 years, having had three chil-
dren. Of tltcse two da'.ighters survive, Julia Lee and Helena Stocl;ton
Peebles.
vi, Jl'LIax Prosser '. See 79.
vii, Myra GaiN'F.s ', born at St. Louis, Mo., the 9th of November, 1841 ;
was married at Tart)oro, N. C, on tlie 23d of August, 1864, to Charles
Napoleon Civalier, of Bordeaux, France, who v/as born the 15th of
August, 1836. Of their children, Charles Napoleon and Richard
Bland Lee died in infancy; two daughters are now living: i, Julia
Anna Marion Lee. born at Jackson, N. C. ; was married at Alexandria
on the 23d of November, 1891, to William Pinckney Holmes, of Balti-
more, Md., and has: Julia Anna ISLarion Lee and William Pinckney
Holmes. 2, Myra Lee Civalier, their second daughter, is single,
viii, William Au(a:STi:s ', born at St. Louis, Mo., the 30th day of Janu-
ary-, 1846; w;is educated in medicine at the Medical College of Vir-
ginia, where he was graduated in 1870; he served in the Confederate
navy, and is now practicing his profession at Richmond.
ix, RoRERT P'lEMiNG', born at St. Louis, Mo., the 13th of February,
1S49 ') served in the Confederate arm)', and is now residing at Alexan-
dria.
Judge Zaccheus Collins Lee.
53. Zacchei's Collins®, the second son of Richard Bland Lee'
(Henry*. Henry % Richard", Richard') and Elizabeth Collins, his wife,
was born the 5th of DL-cember, 1805, and died at Baltimore, the 26th of
November, 1859. Mr. Lee v.-as educated at the University of Virginia ;
studied law under \Villi;un Wirt, and practiced his profession at Baltimore.
He was a prominent member of the bar of that city; was considered an
effective and eloquent speaker; he S(.;\ed as United Slates District Attorney
from 1S48 to 1S55 ; was Judge of the Superior Court of Baltimore from
1855 to the time of his death. He was married, on the 15th of June, 1837,
to ^Lartha Ann, daughter of Thomas C. Jenkins, of Baltimore ; she was
born the 5th o^ April, 1S19, and died the i6th of April, 1864. They had
only two children :
i, Richard Henry". See 80.
ii, Mary Ell^aleth ', born the 5th of November. 1S40 ; has been twice
married; first, on the 26th of December, 1S61, to William B. Ferine,
of "Homeland," Baltimore county, Md., and had a daughter, Martha
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STRATiORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 467
Lee Ferine, horn the 19th of September, 1862, and died the 27th of
April, 1S91. Mr. Ferine died in May, 1S63, and his widow was mar-
ried, secondly, on tlie 15th of August, 1S67, to Bernard John Cooper,
Fost Ci'.ptain of tlie English Navy, who died on the 26th of July,
1S89, leaving three children: i, Mary Elizabeth Lee, born the nth
of December, i86<S ; 2, Mary Frances Donelan Lee, born tlie 23d
of Septciiiber, 1S70; 3, Bernard John Lee, born the 26th of Sep-
tember, 1S73. 'Slavy Frances D. L. Cooper was married, at Rome, on
the 6th of June, 1S94, to Don Guiseppe, second son of Marquis
Patrizi, Standard Bearer of the Holy Church ; he was horn on the
27th of December, 1872. Mrs. Cooper resides at Rome, Italy.
Lieutenant John Hite Lee.
54. John ILte ^, son of Theodoric Lee^ (Henry*, Henry*, Rich-
ard", Richard*) and Cathariiie Hite, his wife, was born the 30Lh of July,
1797, and died in July, 1S3?, at Xorfolk, Va., where he was then stationed
on naval duty. Fie married, in 1825, Elizabeth, daughter of William Fros-
ser, of " White Marsh," Gloucester county, and a sister of the Julia Frosser
who married his first cousin, Richard Bland Lee. Tiiey had three children :
Theodoric, Matilda, and John Hite Lee. Of these Theodoric was born at
"White Marsh " the 22d of Xovember, 1826, and died at Media, Fa., on
the i6th of Se])lember, 1867 (tombstone). He entered the navy as mid-
shipman on the 29th of September, 1841 ; was made master the i4ih of Sep-
tember, 1853 ; lieutenant the 15th of September, 1S55, and resigned on the
25th of -April, 1S57, soon after his marriage to a daughter of John Grigg, a
book publisher of Fhiladei|'lda. by whom he had one son, John Grigg Lee.
He was horn at Paris, France, the iSth of July, 1857 ; died at New York
the 8th of September, 1891 (tombstone), and was buried beside his father at
Media, Fa.
The daughter, Matilda Lee, niairied John Royail Hoicnmibe, and had
issue: i, JoVin Hite Lee, Lieutenant, U. S. N., v.'ho was born the 28th of
September, 1856 ; was educated at Washington and Lee L^niversity and at
the Naval Academy at .Annajjolis; was married in April, iSSi, to Ida Wil-
ton Taylor, and has one son living, John Lee, born the nth of October,
18S2. 2, Thomas Allan, born the 24th of .August, 1S58. 3, Joseph Gales,
born the 2d of December, iS6r ; married Lillie Browne, of Amherst C. H.,
Va., and has one child, Walton Holcombe. 4, ICrnest Frosser, horn tlie 17th
of Januarv, 1864; married Susan (.'oomhs. and has one child, Gladys H(;l-
combe. 5, Kli/abeth Frus>er Holcombe, born the 19th of August, 1866.
468 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Edmund Jennings Lee.
55. Edmund Jennings ^ the eldest son of Edmund Jennings Lee*
(Henry*, Henry ^ Ricliard '-, Richard ') and Sarah Lee, his wife, was born
at Alexandria, then in the District of Columbia, on the 3d of May, 1797.
and died at his home, " Leeland," near Sheplierdstown, Jefferson county,
West Virginia, on the loth of August, 1877.
Mr. Lee received his earliest educational training at the school of the
Rev. Mr. Maffett, in Fairfax county, a school of high repute at that dav.
He subsequently graduated at Princeton College, as his father had done
before him. On leaving college, he studied law with his father at Alexan-
dria ; after being admitted to the bar, he settled at Wheeling, now in West
Virginia, where he remained until after his marriage with Miss Shepherd.
Later, he removed to Shepherdstown, at which place he resided for the
remainder of his life.
^fr. Lee w;is a prominent lawyer, and well-known throughout his sec-
tion of the State, where for n.any years he enjoyed a large and lucrative
practice. He possessed fine abilities, strong native sense, clear, sound
judgment, was of a genial, charitable disposition, and of exalted moral
character. He was diligent in attending to the various duties of life, and,
being well equipped tor the work of his profession, and proverbially attentive
to the interests of his clients, it is not surprising that he held their confidence
and esteem. He never entered public life, although frequently solicited to
do so. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and devoted to her
interests ; for a number of years he was senior warden of the church at
Shepherdstown. Though, like many others of his family and State, he was
opposed to secession, he was later an ardent and warm supporter of the South-
ern cause. Being too far advanced in years to enter the army, he remained
quietly and unobtrusively at home. Yet this did not save him. During a
temporary absence, both his own residence and that of his wife, near by,
were burnt by the order of the famous genera! of the Northern army who
was so valiant and efficient in this line of service.
Mr. Lee was twice married, and had issue by both marriages; he was
first married, on the loth of October, 1S-3, to Eliza, daughter of Captain
Abraham Shepherd, of Berkeley (now Jefferson) county, (now West) Vir-
ginia. She was born the 25th of July, 1799, and died at "Leeland," the
25th of August, 1S33. Mr. Lee was married, secondly, on the 7th of Sep-
tember. 1835, to Henrietta, daughter of Daniel Bedinger, of "Bedford,"
near Shepherdstown ; she was born, at " Bedford," the 7th of February,
Ji
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STRATFORD LIXE, SIXTH GENERATION. 469
x8io, and still, lives, to the great pleasure of innumerable relatives and
friends.
Edmund Jennings Lee and Eliza Shepherd, his first wife, had the two
following children :
i, Ellen', born the 23d of September, 1S24; was married, on the 19th
of September, 1S44, to John Simms Powell, fourth son of Cuthbert
Powell and Catharine Simms, his wife, of Loudoun county, and had
the following nine children: i, Eliza Shepherd, who died aged ten
. years. 2, Cuthbert, born at "Salisbury," Fairfax county, the 29th
of April, 1S49; was married, at Kansas City, Mo., on the 27th of
July, 1SS6, to Lucie Sidney, daughter of Washington and Mary
Davies Gill, of Richmond, Va. , who was born at that city the 17th of
January, 1S54 ; they have two children: Lucie Beverley, born at
Kansas City, Mo., the i^lh of January, 18S9, and Cuthbert, born at
same city, the 6th of September, 1S90. 3, Katharine Simms, born at
"Salisbury," Fairfax county, the iSth of March, 1S51. 4, Edmund
Lee, born at "Salisbury," the loth of May, 1S52. 5, Simms, born at
"Salisbury," the 3d of September, 1S54; was married, at Pvichmond,
Va., on the 2d of December, 1SS2, to ivLiria Eustace, daughter of
William and Caroline Pleasants Brent, who was born the i7lh of Jan-
uary, 1S5S ; they have these six children, all born at Parkersburg,
W. Va. : Caroline Brent, born the 9th of April, 18S4; John Simms,
born the 5th of-\pril, 1SS6 ; William Brent, born the 2oih of August,
1887; Ellen Lee, born the 2d of November, 1S89 ; Edmund Lee,
born the 9th of July, 1S92 ; Lucien Ludwell, born the 29th of Sep-
tember, 1S94. 6, Eleanor Strode, born at "Salisbury," the 14th of
May, 1857 ; was married, at Shepherdstown, W. Va., on tlie 27th
of September, iSSi, to Henry W. Potts, of Pottstown, Pa., and ha^
four children : Eleanor Lee, born at Shepherdstown, the nth of No-
vember, 1SS4; Joseph Ilenv}-, born at Shepherdstown, the 2MI1 of De-
cember, 1SS7 ; Margaret Annan, born at Shepherdstown, the loth of
May, 1S90; Llewellyn Powell, born at Summerville, S. C, the 9th of
February, 1S95. 7, Laura Stuart, born at "Salisbury," the 31st of
May, 1S59 ; was married, at Shepherdstown, on the 4th of May, 1SS6,
to the Pvev. William T. Roberts, formerly of Mecklenburg county,
now rector of old Bruton Parish, Williamsburg ; they have four chil-
dren: Ellen Lee, born at Culpefier, Yi\., the 7th of April, 18SS ; Wil-
liam Saunders, born at ilarrisoiiburg, the 24th of Januai}-, 1891 ;
Laura Powell, born in Mecklenburg county, the 13th of April, 1S93 ;
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470 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ', . '
Edmund Lee, born at Williamsburg, the 6th of December, 1894.
8, Sally Lee, born at ''Bedford," Jefferson county, the 5th of
August, 1 86 1. 9, Charles Lee, born at Lexington, Va. , the 19th of
March, 1S63 ; was married, at Los Angeles, California, on the 2qth of
January, 189-3, ^o Laura Crane, daughter of William J. and Ada ^L
Haughawout, who was born at Xeosha Falls, Kansas, the 7th of Feb-
ruary, 1869.
ii, Charles Shepherd ^ See 81. '. ; rp-' ■.!;■ •)' ■ ■
Edmund Jennings Lee had by his second wife, Henrietta Bedinger,
the following five children : ;• . , , . , _ ^
iii, Edwin Gray'. See 82.
iv, Ida', born at "Leeland," Jefferson county, the 14th of August,
1840, and was married, on the 19th of September, 1S60, to Col.
Armistead Thompson Mason Rust, of Loudoun county, being his sec-
ond wife ; they had these eleven children : Armistead, U. S. N. (who
was married, on the 22d of June, 1SS7, to Anne Weems Ridout, of
Annapolis, Md.), George, Henrietta Lee (who was married, on tlie
24th of June, 1894, to William Mead Coulling, of Richmond), Lily
Southgate (who was married, on the 14th of August, 1SS9. to Thomas
Washington Edwards), Ida Lee, Edwin Gray, Henry Bedinger, Wil-
liam Fitzhugh, Edmund Jennings Lee, Ellsworth Marshall, and Stir-
ling Murray Rust.
V, Henrietta Edmoxia^ born at "Leeland," Jefferson county, the
28th of February, 1844; was married, on the 7th of November, 1S65,
to Dr. Charles Worthington Goldsborough, now of Frederick, Md. ;
they had six children: Charles Henry (who was married, on the 27th
of December, 1SS2, to Birdie, daughter of John C. Neal), Edmund Lee,
Catharine D., Edwin Gray, Henrietta, and Henry Bedinger Golds-
borough. Dr. Goldsborough is a son of Dr. Charles Henry and
Amelia (Poe) Goldsborough, and a descendant of Charles and Anna
Maria (Tilghman) Goldsborough, of " Horn Point," Dorchester
county, Md., the progenitor of tlie Maryland Goldsboroughs.
vi, Edmund Jen'xings '. See S3.
vii, Henry Bedinger '. See 84.
THE SHEPHERD FAMILY.
Thomas Shepherd emigrated from lilngland ; settled first at Annapolis,
Maryland ; later near the town of Mecklenburg, now Shepherdstown, and
18 JO . .'o-
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 47 1
named from this family, where he acquired a large tract of land from Lord
Fairfax. The present town was laid out by Thomas Shepherd, in 1762;
in his will, dated in 1776, he directed his executor to deed a lot of two
acres on which '' the English Church stood " for church purposes. He had
five sons and four daughters ; of these sons, Abraham served as a captain in
the Revolutionary army; in 1775 he marched with a company from Shep-
herdstown to join the Continental forces around Boston ; later, at the battle
of "King's Bridge," in November, 1776, when his superior officers had
been wounded, he commanded his regiment with great credit. Of him,
Bishop Meade wrote : "Without detracting from the praise due to many
others who have contributed funds and efforts to the last two churches, we
must ascribe the first of them chiefly to the zeal, perseverance, and liberality
of that true friend of the Church in her darkest days, Mr. Abraham Shep-
herd." Captain Shepherd married Eleanor Strode, who was born 27th
June, 1760, and lived until the 23d of September, 1S53. Captain Shep-
herd died on the 7th of September, 1S22, in his 69th year. Their daughter,
Eliza Shepherd, was born 26th of July, 1799; died the 25th of August,
1833; married Edmund Jennings Lee, on the ist of October, 1823, as
stated.
THE BEDINGER FAMILY.
The Bedingers are of German descent ; Adam Bedinger, the first of
the family in .America, was born in the village of Dorschell, in the princi-
pality of Liechtenstein, near the city of Strasburg in Alsace. He came to
America in the year 1736, landed at Philadelphia, and for a few years
lived in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, from whence he moved into York
county, where he died. He had married and had tour sons in hh native
land, but only one son, Henry, appears to have come over with him to
Pennsylvania. This son resided with his father uniil lie was about twenty-
two years old, when he married Mary von Schlegel, who was a near relative
of August and Friedrich von Schlegel, Germa;i uiiters of note. In the
spring of 1762, he moved with his family to Shc[)herdstown, then in Fred-
erick county, and known as Mecklenburg. There he built himself a hand-
some residence, near the town, where his three youngest sons were born ;
he died the 22d of January, 1772, in his 42d year, leaving issue: Henry,
Mary, Sally, George Michel, Daniel, and Jacob. The eldest son, Henry,
served in the Revolutionary war, rising to the rank o( major; he married
Rachel Strode, and left three daughters. The two daughters, Mary and
Sally, married, respectively, Abel and Abram Morgan, two brothers, and
both have descendants. George Michel, the next child, was married twice,
*?f
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472 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ^^V3
moved to Kentucky, where he has dt-scendants. Of Daniel, fifth child, his
daughter has written: "After the death of his mother the land and house
where he was born, came, either by inheritance or purchase, into his posses-
sion. Before his mother's death the Revolutionary war began; he was then
in his sixteenth year, and he ran aivay and joined the army. This was in
the year 1776, and although he was taken prisoner, and for many months
suffered every indignity at the hands of a merciless foe, as soon as he
recovered from a severe illness, he returned to the army and served until
our independence was declared. Daniel Bedinger and Sarah Rutherford
were married at the ' Flowing Spring,' the home of the bride's father, on
the — day of April, 1791."
Daniel Bedinger built a very handsome residence, "Bedford," near
Shepherdstown, where he died about 1S18, in his 57th or 58th year. Of
his children, Henrietta married Edmund Jennings Lee, and has recently
celebrated her 85th birthday. Elizabeth Conrad, her sister, married John
Thornton Augustine Washington, Of Mr. Bedinger his nephew wrote:
" Daniel Bedinger was a model of all that was noble, generous, brave,
and honorable among men. A man of true genius, with the highest order
of intellect, admired and beloved by his associates, who were all gentlemen
of truth and probity — for my uncle held in contem|)t all that was false,
sordid, or dishonorable, and kept aloof from all such." His daughter,
Henrietta, lived at his old home, "Bedford," until it was destroyed during
the late war.
Rev. William Fitzhugh Lee.
56. William Fitzhugh^, second son of Edmund Jennings Lee*
(Henry*, Henry', Richard '^ Richard^) and Sarah Lee, his wife, was born
at Alexandria, the 7th of May, 1S04 ; died, at same place, the 19th of ^Lay,
1S37; he v,as married, on the 2-'C^ of October, 1S27, to Mary Catharine
Simm.s Chilton, daughter of William Chilton, Esq., of Loudoun county;
she was born the i6th of December, 1S06, and died the 6th of March.,
1S84. ;.;; ,;.,;:■ ,../. ^-^.Z '■ ■>■ ■'■•■ ''^ ■- ' ' ■ ' '' ' ■'
Bishop ^^oore wrote of him : " Mr. Lee was admitted to the order of
Deacons in Leesburg, county of Loudoun, by Bishop ^[oore, on Sunday, the
2ist of August, 1S25, and to the order of Priests, on the loth of May,
182S. His popularity as a preacher of the gosjjel rendered him universally
acceptable. His first settlement in the ministry was in the counties of
.\melia and Goochland ; and soon after in St. John's Church, Richmond
Hill, and afterward in Christ Church, both in this city [Richmond].
" His zeal in the discharge of his sacred duties was of the first order.
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 473
Naturally of a feeble constitution, but possessing a mind of the most vigor-
ous character, and a spirit of gospel industry seldom equaled, his health
soon exhibited symptoms of decline. His Bishop most earnestly and fre-
quently entreated him to contract his labors, and to rest satisfied with the
usual services of the Sabbath; but, prompted by the native energy of his
mind, and intluenced by his love of pastoral duty, he resisted his fatherly
solicitations. He would sometimes preach three times on the Lord's
day, and frequently in the week, by means of which unusual effort his
lungs became affected, and the disease, which terminated his life, ob
tained such a firm hold on his system, that he was ob'igcd to relin-
quish his pastoral charge, and to bid adieu to the congregation he had
formed, and to which he was most ardently and affectionately attached.
" Mr. Lee, upon retiring from the services of the sanctuary, became,
editor of the Souf/u-rn CJiiirchjnan, and soon distinguished himself in that-
capacity. He was a decided and firm Episcopalian, but at the same time
lived in peace and friendship with other denominations of Christians.
During the confinement which preceded his dissolution, he endeavored to
prepare himself for that solemn hour he knev,- to be approacliing. The at-
tention of his clerical brethren was unwearied, and their sympathies com-
forted and supported him in his last hour. The Lord's Sujtpcr was admin-
istered to him by his Bishop, who, in companv' with his distressed wife, and
those friends who were present, kneeled around his sick bed, and partook
with him of that holy ordinance. . . ."
"Mr. Lee was a bright example of gospel industry, and it is the firm
hope of the author of this obituary, that his clerical brethren, one and ail,
may take courage in the work to which they have pledged themselves; and
steadily and perseveringly continue faithful unto death, that they may reaj)
the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls. Mr. Lee preached his
last sermon in the Monumental Church, from the following passage ot
Scripture: 'This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of
jerusaleui.' "
" His funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Keith, in Christ
Church, Alexandria, on Trinity Sunday, from John xiv, 2, 3. On a suc-
ceeding Sunday, a discourse commemorative of his deatli was preached in
Christ Church in this city [Richmond], by the Rector, the Rev. Mr.
Woodbridge, tVom Heb. xi, 4: ' He being dead yet speakeih.' " {SoutJicrn
Church/nan.')
Mr. Lee established The Southern Churchman, and was its editor until
the close of the winter prevjous to his death. He then ren^oved from Rich-
mond to Alexandria, to die amidst the friends and scenes of his youth.
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474 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Shortly before he left Richmond, he lost a child, aged fourteen months ;
his mother preceded him to the grave ])y only ten days. His wife and two
children survived him:
i, William Fitzhugh '. . See 85.
ii, ]\Iarv Morrison \ born the i6th of April, 1S30; died the 21st of
January, 1S91 ; married Rev. Robert Allen Castleman, of Clarke
county, and left one son, the Rev. R. A. Castleman, now in charge of
parishes in Fairfax county, and three daughters.
Cassius Francis Lee.
57. Cassius Francis®, the third son of Edmund Jennings Lee°
-(Henry*, Henry', Richard", Richard') and Sarah Lee, his wife, was born
at Alexandria on the 2 2d of May, i8cS, and died at the same place on the
23d of January. 1S90. Mr. ]>ee was reared and educated, lived and died,
at or near Alexandria. There the whole of his long and useful life was spent.
In his earlier days he was Clerk of the U. S. Courts, and was admitted to
the bar, but never practiced. Later he became a member of the mercantile
house of Cazenove os: Company, of that town. At his father's house he had
early listened to the conversations of Bishops Moore and Meade, the patri-
archs of the Episcopal Church in Virginia, and doubtless it was from such
intercourse, as v.ell as from the wise instruction of his mother, that he early
became imbued with that love for the Church which ever characterized him
and which ruled his whole life. Of him the Southern Churchman has said
(under date of the 30th of January, 1S90) : «
" On Thursday last tliis venerable and beloved man passed from earth
into the everlasting blessedness of the saints. We had not heard of his
sickness, therefore his death was unexpected, though it ought not to have
been, he ha\ing passed the age allotted to men. We cannot trust ourselves
to speak of his long and consistent Christian life, and of that long life de-
voted to the interests and weltare of the Church in this diocese. I'or
many years before th.e war, as treasurer of the Theological Seminary and
treasurer of the \'irginia Educational Society, he gave his thoughts, his affec-
tions, his time to the Seminar}- witliout compensation. After the war, his
]>ecuniary circumstances having changed, a small salary was given him,
which he more than earned, givir.g nearly all his time to the Education
Society and to the care and interests of the Seminary. While his health
had failed during the past icw vears, he was aUvajs deeply interested in its
welfare, full of zeal for its goo.d, and died treasurer of both. He will be
missed, not only by his sons, daughters, and grandchildren, but by the j'ro-
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 4y-
fessors and students and by his many friends, and by the Church in this
diocese. His co-workers on the boards of trustees will miss him ; he was
always so dee^dy concerned and so earnestly at work for good. His Chris-
tian character, his pious zeal, his love for w hat was true and just and hon-
orable— of these no one can si>eak in adequate terms. His light shone
unconscious to himself, and that light was bright and beautiful and affec-
tionate. . . . He lived the Christian life and died the Christian death, full
of the respect of all who knew him. While we sympathize with this dio-
cese, we rejoice that such a man lived in it and died in it. His memory
let it continue precious. . . . He was identified with Christ Church (Alex-
andria) as far back as 1S33, and for years represented that parisli in the
annual Councils, and was one of the lay deputies to the General Conven-
tion held at Cincinnati; he was a member of the Standing Committee of
this diocese for over a third of a century. ... In his work, v, hether as a
merchant, citizen, or in any work connected with the Church, he was
active and indefatigable, as those who were associated with him can testify.
His end was somewhat sudden. On the Sunday previous to his death he
did not go to church, though he was up and about the house. That after-
noon a member of his family read to him Dr. Slaughter's Memorial of the
Rev. G. A. Smith, to which he listened v/ith interest. The day following
Bishop Talbot, of Wyoming, was at Christ Church and delivered an address
on his missionary work, and afterward called to see Mr. Lee, who was grati-
fied and pleased to se-e the Bishop. That night he retired to bed as usual,
but never rose therefrom, the sudden change taking place on Thursday, and
before noon his spirit had passed away. On Saturday he was buried from
Christ Church, and at the funeral the hymn sung was that which he loved to
repeat, and which was his favorite hymn :
'* Juit as I am, without one plea.
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O, Lamb of God, I come."
Cassius F. Lee was married twice; first, on the iSth of September,
1833, to ILmnah Philippa Ludwell Hopkins, the second daughter of John
and Cornelia (Lee) Hopkins. She was born at Alexandria "twenty min-
utes before 6 o'clock, Saturday morning, the 3d of August, iSii ; was bap-
tized the 14th of June, 1812, by the Rev. ^Villiam Meade; her Sjionsors
were Mrs. Lassett, Mi>s Xancy Riddle, Mr. William H. Fitzhugh, Mr. John
Hopkins, Jr., and Capt. Croudhill " (Hoi)kins Family Bible). The Cor-
nelia Lee who married.John Hopkins was tlie youngest daughter of William
and Hannah Philippa (Ludwell) Lee, of " Greenspring ; " hence her daugh-
V.
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476 LEE OF VIRGINIA. " ' , -, ;
ter married a second cousin. Mrs. Hannah Philippa I.. Lee died at Alex-
andria the 25th of January, 1844.
Cassias F. Lee had, by his first wife, the following named children :
i, Cornelia', born the ::7th of November, 1S35, and died, unmarried,
on the 24th of Ju-ne, 1S90.
ii, William Ludwell", born the 2Sth of March, 1S3S, and "Died at
Alexandria, on Monday, the loth inst. [May, 185S], suddenly of disease
of the heart, William Ludwell Lee. aged 20 years, the eldest son of
Cassius F. Lee, Esq. The many friends of Mr. Lee will deeply sympa-
thize with him in the loss of his son. He was a young man of great
promise, with one of the sweetest and purest dispositions any young
man ever had ; tenderly beloved by all that knew him, and cut down
in a moment. But his friends sorrow not as others who have no hope.
He was a disci[ile of Jesus. A few months ago his father kneeled with
him around the communion table, to join with him, as he for the first
time partook of the symbols of a Saviour's dying love. Since that
time his 'walk and conversation' were as becometh a follower of
Christ."
Ludwell Lee was educated at the school of Benjamin Hallowell and
was such an exemplary pupil that Mr. Hallowell once volunteered to
teach him without any compensation.
iii, Harriotte HorKixs ', born the 15th of April, 1S40; married, on the
28th of November, 1S60, Thomas Seddon Taliaferro, of Gloucester
county, and had: Thomas Seddon, Jr.. Philippa Ludwell (who mar-
ried, on the nth of December, 1894, Thomas J. Wyche, formerly of
Virginia, now of Wyoming), Harriotte Lee, and Susan Seddon, who
was born the 26th of December, 1S62, and died the 30th of May,
1866.
iv, Sarah", born on the 6th of January, 1S42 ; resides at Washington,
D. C.
v, Cassius Francis '. See 86.
Mr. Lee was married, secondly, on the 15th of April, 1846, to Anne
Eliza, the elde-t daughter of William Collins and Eliza Frances (Cazenove)
Gardner; she was born at Newport, R. L, the 7th of February, 1819,
Sunday mornii<g ; died at '• Menokin," Fairfax county, the 5th of July,
1SS5, Sunday evening. The children of this second marriage were :
vi, Philipi'a', born the Sth of March, 1847 ; died the 24th of December,
1853-
vii, Constance G.a.rdner'', burn the 27th of October, 1S4S; died, at her
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION.
477
home at Baltimore, Md., the 8th of August, 1877; she was married,
on the 29th of October, 1S68, to the Rev. George William Peterkin,
of Richmond, only son of the Rev. Joshua Peterkin, D. D., and Eliza
beth Hanson, his \vife. They had : i, George William, born the 8th of
August, 1S69; died JiiiV' 1870. 2, Constance Lee. 3, William
Gardner. 4, Elizabeth Hanson. 5, Annie Cazenove, born the Sth
of August, 1S77, and died ten days later. Mrs. Peterkin and her
deceased children were buried at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond,
viii, Cazenove Gardner'. See 87.
ix, Francis Dupont'. See 8S.
X, Edmund Jennings'. See 89.
xi, William Gardner', born the 27th of June, 1S55, and died in three
days.
xii, Annie Eliza", born the 23d of October, 1S61 ; married, on the 28th
of April, 18S6, the Rev. John Thompson Cole, son of the Rev. John
and Frances Eleanor (Thompson) Cole, of Culpeper county ; he was
born the 23d of December, 1857 ; was educated at the Episcopal High
School, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia Theological Semi-
nary ; was ordained Deacon the i6th of ]May, and Priest the 3d of
July, 1SS3, and for several years was connected with tlie mission of
the Episcopal Church in Japan, and is now acting as general secretary
of the American Church Missionary Society. They have had: Annie
Lee, born at Tokio, Japan, and Eleanor Thompson Cole, who died at
Washington, on the nth of January, 1893, aged eighteen months.
THE GARDNER FAMILY.
George Gardner (1601-1677), a grandson of Sir Thomas Gardner,
emigrated from England to America about
1635-40 J he is mentioned in a "catalogue of
such (persons) who, by the Generall Consent
of the Company were admitted to be Inhaby-
tants of the Island now called Aqueedneck,
having submitted themselves to the Govern-
ment that is or shall be established, according
to the Word of God, therein." He married
Lydia, daughter of Robert Ballon, and left,
among others, a son, Joseph Gardner (1669-
1726), of Newport, R. L, who was a lieu-
tenant of "the train band," and a deputy in "the Generall Assembly
held for the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, at War-
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478 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
wick in October, 1705;" he married, on the 30th of November, 1693,
Katharine, daughter of John and Frances (Holden) Holmes. Frances
Holden was a daughter of Captain Randall Holden, a very influential man
in the Colony; he was one of the nineteen who signed this compact, at
Portsmouth, 7th March, 1738: " We whose names are underwritten, do
solemnly in the presence of Jehovah, incorporate ourselves into a Body
Politick, and as He shall help, will submit our persons, our lives and estates
unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all
those perfect and most absolute laws of His, given us in his Holy Word of
Truth, to be guided and judged thereby." (Austin, Gen. Diet, of R. I.,
100.) On the i2th of January, 1643, Capt. Randall Holden "and ten
others bought of Miantonomi for 144 fathoms of Wampum, the tract of
Land called Shawornet (now Warwick)." (Austin, 100.) Joseph and
Katharine (Holmes) Gardner had a numerous family ; their tenth child was
William (17 12-1744), who married, in 1736, Mary Carr, a daughter of
John and Abigail (Remington) Carr. John Carr was a grandson of Gov.
Caleb Carr, and a great-grandson of Roger Williams. Caleb Gardner
(1739-1S06), the second son of William and IMary (Carr) Gardner, was suc-
cessively captain, major, and lieut. -colonel of the first Rhode Island regi-
ment in 1775-6; later he was, in turn, a deputy, a member of the
"Council of War," and "Assistant" in 1787-S8-92. He was residing in
Newport, in 1778, when the French squadron under Comte d'Estaing was
blockaded in the harbor of Newport by Admiral Howe ; Capt. Gardner,
seeing from his house top the disposition of the two fleets, rowed oft" to the
French admiral at night and ])iloted his vessels out through the British
squadron, under cover of the darkness and a heavy fog. i^Applcton s Ency.
of Am. BiograpJiv, II, 597.) The following letter was written to him by
Marechal de Castries, then Minister of Marine under Louis XVI., in recog-
nition of this service and a later one rendered the French at Yorktown :
"Versailles, 3d Xoveml^er, 1781. Sir: M. le Comte de Barras. com-
mander of the Kin!:,''s Sfpiadron in North America, informs me, Sir, of the
distinguished proofs you have given of your zeal and attachment to the
common cause, and of the service you have rendered as well to his
squadron as to the army of M. de Rochambeau, and formerly to the
squadron commanded by M. le Ct. D'Estaing. I have given an account
of it to the King and His Majesty hath ordered his Ambassador at the
United States to send to you, with this letter, a present from him as a
particular testimony of his satisfaction. It is with pleasure that I inform
you of it. I am. Sir, wholly yours. (Signed) Castries."
"To >L Caleb Gardner, Captain of Marine, Newport."
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STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 479
Captain Caleb Gardner was married three times; first, in 1770, to
Sarah Ann, dau_:^lner of Dr. James Robinson ; he \\as married, secondly, in
178S, to Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Gardner) Fowler; lastly, to
Mary, daugluer of Gov. John Collins. Calel) Gardner died the 24th of
December, 1S06 ; he was a ncpliew of Chief Justice and Deputy-Governor
John Gardner, who died the ?9th of January, 1764; both were buried at
Newport.' Of his second marriage was born William Collins (died 2Sth No-
vember. 1S44, aged 54), who married, in May, 1S16, Eliza Frances, daughter
of Antoine Charles Cazenove, who had emigrated from Geneva, being of
an ancient French Huguenot family; she was born in Alexandria, the 5th
of May, 1 70S, and died there 2d of February, 1857. After his marriage,
William C. Gardner moved from Newport to Alexandria, where both he
and his wife are buried. They had issue: i, Charles Cazenove, born 17th
April. 1S17; died 30th IMay, 1844; married, 4th August, 1S40, Maria
Ridgely, daughter of Dr. John Syng Dorsey, of Philadelphia, and left one
son, Dorsey Gardner, who has been twice married and had issue by I'Oth
marriages. 2, Anne Eliza, born 7th February, 1819; died at "Menokin,"
Fairfax county, 5th July, 1SS5 ; married Cassius F. Lee, as stated. 3, Con-
stance Tabor, born 17th July, 1820; died 12th May, 1849; married, 30th
of October, 1S45, Henry Winter Davis, of Mar}land ; no issue. 4, Mary
Collins, born 2d July, 1S23; died 5th April, 1S26. 5, William Fowler,
born 27th October, 1S40; married, on the 23d of April, 1S6S, Harriet C,
daughter of John H. Rowland, of Norfolk; they have three children:
Harriet Rowland, Elisa Cazenove, and William Cazenove. Mr. Gardner
has charge, at present, of Trinity Episcopal Church in Howard county,
Maryland.
Petf.rkin. The Right Reverend George William Peterkin was born at
Clear Spring, \Vashington county, Maryland, on the 21st of Afarrh, 1S41.
He was educated at the Episcopal High School and later at the University
of Virginia; was in attendatice at the latter institution when the late civil
war began, and enlisted as a private in the Southern army, inAjirii. 1861.
Was chosen 2d lieutenant in April, 1S62 ; adjutant of his regiment, May,
1S62; and later joined the staff of General William Nelson Pendleton, and
served as his " tried and trusty aide," until the end of the war. He entered
the Theological Seminary, near Alexandria, and graduated there in June,
1868 ; was ordained Deacon by Bishop Johns, on the 24th of that month;
during the year of his diaconate, he a.ssisted his father at St. James' Church,
1 From whose tombstone the arms, given on p. 477. were copied. The Rev. Richard Gardner, D. D.,
Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, wVio died the :;oth of September, 16, ,0, bore the same arms.
Ci;* • y'.^M.l'
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480 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
*'--
Richmond ; on the 25th of June, 1S69, he was ordained Priest, by Bishop
Whittle; from June, 1S69, to 1873, he was rector of St. Stephen's Church,
Culpeper Court-house; from 1873 to 1S78, he had charge of Memorial
Church, Baltimore. In the latter }ear, he was elected Bishop of the new-
Diocese of West Virginia, and was consecrated at St. Matthew's Church,
Wheeling, on the 30th" of May, 187S. The honorary degree of D. D. was
conferred upon Bishop Peterkin in 1S78 by Washington and Lee University,
and later by Kenyon College, Ohio. The degree of LL. D. has also been
conferred upon him. On the 12th of June, 1884, Bishop Peterkin was
married, for the second time, to Marion, daughter of ^Ir. John Stewart, of
" Brook Hill," near Richmond. He resides at Parkersburg, West Virginia.
During the summer of 1S93, Bishop Peterkin visited the mission of the
Episcopal Church in Southern Brazil.
Charles Henry Lee.
58. Charles Henry®, the fourth son of Edmund Jennings Lee*
(Henry*, Henry', Richard*, Richard^) and Sarah Lee, his wife, was born
at Alexandria, the 20th of October, 1S18, and resides nov/ chiefly at I.ees-
burg. Mr. Lee is a lawyer by profession. For some years he has made a
special study of the laws of courts-martial and has published a work on the
subject. Before the late civil war, he was in the office of the Adjutant-
General at Washington, serving there with Generals PvOger Jones, and
Samuel Cooper. During the war, he served in a similar position in the
Adjutant-General's office at Richmond, with rank of major. He was mar-
ried, oa the 7th of November, 1S44, to Elizabeth A. Dunbar, who was
born at Alexandria, on the 17th of December, 1822. They had one
daughter, Laura Dunbar, born in Loudoun county, the 21st of July, 1846;
died at Richmond, the 25th of April, 1883; was married, on the 27ih of
.September, 1S77, to George Harrison Bu.rwell, of " Cartt-r Hall," Clirke
countv. She left a son, John Townsend Burwell, who was born in Clarke
C(-)unty, the 8th of July, 1878.
Judge Richard Henry Lee.
59. Richard Henry *, the fifth son and youngest child of Edmund
Jennings Lee ^ (Henry*, Henry ^ Richard", Richard^) and Sarah Lee, his
wife, was born and reared at Alexandria, then in the District of Columbia ;
after completiiig his education, he studied law, and began its practice in
JetTerson county with his elder brother, Eldmund L Lee. Just prior to the
outbreak of the civil war, he had been chosen commonwealth's attorney tor
that county, and was holding tliis position when he eniercd the army. He
..M.iM r.v..
STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 481
was made a lieutenant in " Botts' Grays," a company of the 2d Virginia
regiment, Stonewall Brigade. During the Valley campaign under General
Jackson, while bearing the colors of his regiment, the color-bearer having
been shot, he received a disabling wound. Upon the organization of the
military courts, he was appointed, by Mr. Davis, president of the military
court of the 2d army corj)s, which position he held until the close of the
war. Before this, he had been twice taken prisoner, and was once a pris-
oner at Johnson's Island ; the second time he was fortunate enough to
effect his escape. Since the war, Mr. Lee has been practicing his profession
in Clarke and Loudoun counties, with his residence near Millwood, in the
former county. He has recently been elected by the State legislature county
judge for Clarke. Mr. Lee was selected as the proper representative of his
grandfather, Richard Plenry Lee, to read the Declaration of Independence
at the old State House, Philadelphia, on the 4th of July, 1876.
He married, in June, 1S48, Evelyn Byrd, daughter of William Byrd
Page, of "Pagebrook," Clarke county, and Eliza Mayo Atkinson, his
second wife; she was born about 1823, and died at their home in Clarke,
on tlie 25th of October, 18S9. They had these five children:
i, Mary Page^, living with her father, and unmarried.
ii, William BYRD^ See 90.
iii, Richard Henry '', livin • and unmarried.
iv, Elise Atkinson' was .'.arried at Christ Church, Millwood, on the
20th of September, 1878, to the Rev. James Ridout Winchester,
D. D., and has had these children: i, Richard Henry Lee, born the
■ 23d of August and a. " ♦^he 23d of September, 1S79. 2, Lucy Lang-
home, born the 13th of August, 1S80, and died the 4th of April,
18S2. 3, James Ridout, born the nth oi January, 1S83, and died
the 20th of September, rSS6. 4, Evelyn Lee, born the 2Sth of July,
1S85. 5. Cassius Lee, born the 6th of April, 1S88. 6, Florence
Whiting, born the iSth of October, 1892. James Ridout Winchester
was born at Ani,apolis, Md., on the 15th of March, 1S52, a soi^. of
Jacob Winchester and Mary Ridout, his wife, of that place; he was
educated at the Episcopal High School, and at Washington and Lee Uni-
versity, where he took the degree of B. A. in 1S74; after gratluating
at the Virginia Theological Seminary, he was ordained Deacon the
29th of June, 1877, and Priest the 2Sth of June, 187S; his diaconate
was served as assistant to the late Rev. Joshua Peterkin, D. D., at St.
James' Church, Richmond. His next charge was at Uniontown, Ala-
bama, 187S to 1880; then at Wyiheville, Va., from i8Soto 1S82 He
'' ' was rector of Christ Church, Macon, Ga.4 from 1S82 to 1S90, when
31
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482
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
he assumed the rectorship of Christ Church, Nashville, Tenn., of
which he is now in charge. In 1893, the honorary degree of D. D.
was conferred upon Mr. Winchester by the University of the South,
Sewanee, Tenn.
Tlie Winchester family came from England, and settled in Queen
Anne's county, Md., about 1649, receiving a grant of land from Lord
. ^ Baltimore, which remained in the family until sold, in 1S45, by Jacob
Winchester, who, as eldest son of the eldest son, inherited it. The
Ridout family, into which they married, were of French Huguenot de-
scent; John, the first of the name in .America, was the private secre-
f tary of Governor Sharpe, and later adopted by him ; he married a
daughter of Governor Ogle, who, family tradition states, was at one
time engaged to Governor Sharpe, but he resigned his claims in favor
of his adopted son, and blessed their union by leaving them his estates.
V, Charles IIenrv". See 91.
THE PAGE FAMILY. -
'■ Here lieth in hope of a JoyfuU Resurrection the Body of Colonel John
Page, of Biuton Parish Esquire. One of their Majesties Council in the Do-
minion of Virginia, who departed this life the 23 of January, in the year of our
Lord, 1691-2, aged 65." Such is the inscrip-
tion on the tombstone of the progenitor of this
justly famous Virginia family. He is said to
have arrived in Virginia about 1650, being
then 23 years old ; he rnariied Alice Luckin,
'V2viv^'^''^'< U^-'^?"'-^(-r-^.'' 7 ^^^ '*-'''• '^''^ ^^ sons. Francis and Matthew. The
'•}^^^^'/^^'i^<^^^^'^^^^V\>:''/. vcj eldest son married Marv, daughter of Edward
'(^^5V- V'^ -'; "^f r^\£-'-^ Dicr^es, of Hampton Parish, and had onlv one
child, a daughter Eli/.abeth, who married a
" John Page, of York county, Gent.," of whom
nothing is known. Matthew, the second son,
v.as born at Williamsburg, in 1659, and died
the 9th of January, 1703; he is described on
his tombstone as "One of Fler Majesties most
Honourable Councell of the Parish of Abingdon in the County of Gloucester
in the Collony of Virginia," etc. He married (about 16S9) Mary, the
only child of John and Mary >Lmn, of '• Timberneck," Gloucester, and
settled (about 1700) at " Rosewell," on Carter's Creek, also in Gloucester,
which place has ever since been famous as the old homestead of the Pages.
This couple left only one surviving child, a son, Mann Page, who died the
fH:»r>
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■;;> V 1. r-. .{ .1
STRATFORD LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 483
24th of January, 17:^0, aged 39 years. This Matthew Page was the h'uilder
of the present '• Rosewell " mansion, which he commenced about 17-^5 ; it
is a very large house, and was formerlv an exceedingly handsome spec;imen
of old colonial architecture. Matthew Page was twice married, but left
surviving issue by his second wife only; he married first in 171 2, Judith,
daughter of Ralph \\'ormeley, of Middlese.x, who died the 12th of Decem-
ber, 1716, aged 22 years; he married, secondly, Judith, daughter of Robert
Carter, of "Corotoman," Lancaster county, by whom he left three sons,
who became respectively the progenitors of the three branches of the Page
family in Virginia.
i, ^^ANN Page, of " Rosewell," second of that name, was the eldest
son of the Hon. Mann Page, and Judith Carter, his second wife, and
the progenitor of this branch of the family. He was born about 1718;
the date of his death is not known ; was a member of the Contitiental
Congress of 1777, and one of the board of Visitors of \\'iili;im and
Mary College. He was twice married ; first, in the year 1743, to Alice,
third daughter of the Hon. John Grymes, of Middlesex, who died the
nth of January, 1746, leaving two sons, and a daughter; he was
married, secondly, about 1748, to .\nne Corbin Tayloe, of " Mt.
Airy," by whom he had seven children. His eldest child by his first
•wife, was Governor John Page, who was born the 17th April, 1744,
and died the nth of October, 1S08, at Richmond where ho was
buried in the churchyard of St. John's Episcopal Church. He was
educated at William and Mary College, of which institution he was
afterward a Visitor; was a member of the House of Burgesses, of the
Continental Congress, and Governor of Virginia, 1802-5. Governor
Page was married twice, had twelve children by his first wife, and eight
by the second. He was married, first (about 1 765) to Frances, daughter
of Col. Robin Burwell, of Isle-of-\Vight county, and Sallie Nelson, his
wife, who was a daughter of the first Thomas Nelson of Yorktown.
Col. Robin P)Urwell was the brother of '• Letty " Burwell, the wife of
"President" William Nelson. Mrs. Page died in the year 17.S4, aged
37, le?ving nine surviving children ; five of wb,oni married suns or
daughters of Governor Thomas Nelson. (These intermarriages afford
an example of Virginia relationships; every one of these Nelsons and
Pages were related three or four times.) Governor Page married,
secondly, in 17S9. at New York City. Margaret, daughter of William
Losvther, of Scotland, and had issue as mentioned. , Governor Page's
eldest son, Mann Page, who died the 24th of August, 1813, aged 47
years, was the founder of " Shelly," another seat of the Pages, which
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484 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
is on the opposite side of Carter's Creek from " Rosewell." By many
this is thought tt» have been the headquarters cf Powhatan, the place
made famous by the rescue of Captain John Smith by Pocahontas.
Mann Page married, 5th of June, 1788, Elizabeth, daughter of Gov-
ernor Thomas Nelson, and had fifteen children. His younger brother,
Francis Page of '•Rugswamp," Hanover county, also married a daughter
of Governor Thomas Nelson, and had seven children ; the eldest,
Anzolette Elizabeth, born in 1807, died the 14th of January, 1884,
was married, on the 15th of July, 1S31, to Lieutenant William Nelson
Pendleton, a graduate of West Point, who later entered the ministrv of
the Episcopal Church, in which he served most faithfully for over forty-
five years; their eldest daughter, Susan Pendleton, married Edwin
Gray Lee (82, q. v.). Francis Page's youngest son was John Page,
who lived at "Oakland," Hanover county; he was married, in 1847.
to Elizabeth Burwell, fourth daughter of' Captain Thomas Nelson, of
same place, and Judith Nelson, his wife, who was the youngest child
of Governor Thomas Nelson; their eldest child is the Rev. Francis
Page, of the Episcojal Church, now living in Texas; the second son,
Thomas Nelson Page, so favorably known and deservedly popular as a
writer, lives at Washington City; their youngest son, Rosewell Page, is
a lawyer.
ii, John (1720-1780), of "North End," the second son of the Hon.
Mann Page, of " Rosewell," and Judith Carter, his second wife, was
the progenitor of tliis branch of the family. He was married, about
1741, to Jane, a daughter of Col. William E. Byrd, of " Westover,"
(by his second wife, Maria Taylor) by whom he had fifteen children.
John Page was a member of the Council, 176S, was a Visitor of
William and Mary College, and a lawyer by profession. Of his chil-
dren, the eldest, Mann Page, removed to "Fairfield," Clarke county;
married, about 1767, Mary Mason, a daughter of Samuel Selden, of
" Salvington," Stafford county. (J.Liry Thomson >.Iason, the only
sister of the famous George Mason, of "Gunston," married, on the
nth of April, 1751, Col. Samuel Selden, and had Samuel and Mary
Mason.) They had two children ; the eldest, William Byrd Page,
married, about 1797, Anne, daughter of Henry and Lucy (Grymes)
Lee, of " Leesylvania," and had issue as stated (see 24, viii).
iii, Robert (i 722-1 768), of " Broadneck," Hanover county, the youngest
son of the Hon. Mann Page, of " Rosewell," and Judith Carter, his
second wife, was the progenitor of this branch of the family. The
Broadneck House is supposed to have been built about 1750; it was
r: :•".'»
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVKNTH OENERATIOX, 485
burned during the Revolutionary ^Var. His eldest surviving son,
Robert, probably rebuilt the mansion, while the others moved to Clarke
county. Robert Page was married, on the 20th of January, 1750, to
Sarah Walker, who was the daughter of an f_^nglish clergyman, and
had nine children, the sixth of whom was John, born at '•' Broadneck,"
the 29th of June, 1760, and died the 17th of September, 1838; he
was married, in 17S4, to Maria Horsemander, the daughter of Col.
William K. Byrd, of " Westover," and had seven children, the eldest
of whom, William Byrd Page, was twice married; first to Evelyn
Byrd, a daughter of Judge \\'illiam Nelson, by whom he had issue,
Anne Willing Page, Dr. '\\'illiam Byrd Page, of Philadelphia, and John
Page; he was married, secondly, to Eliza Mayo, daughter of Robert
Atkinson, of " Mansfield," Dinwiddie county, by wliom he had Evelyn
Byrd, who married, in 1S51, Richard Henry Lee, and had issue as
stated; his second daughter, Mary Page, married Col. Williraii Nelson,
a great-grandson of " Secretary " Thomas Nelson, of "^'oikiown.*
STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION.
Thomas Lee.
60. Tjiomas ^ the second son of Thomas Lee'^ (Thomas Sim^, Thomas*,
Philip', Richard", Richard') and Eleanor Cromwell, his wife, was born
the nth of May, 1803 ; died ; he married Harriet Carver, of Boston,
and had issue : Charles, Mary, Rebecca, Richard, and P.osa Lee \ Of these,
Charles married Rebecca Grant, and left a son, Charles ^ who married and
had a son, Dr. Richard Lee "^. Rosa married Lieutenant Breeze, U. S. N.
Thomas Sim Lee.
61. Thomas Sim', the only son of William Lee*^ (Thomas Sim*,
Thomas*, Philips Richard"', Richard') and Mary Lee Hollyday, his wife,
was born the Sth of .August, iSiS, and died ; he was married, on the
7th of April. 1S40, to Josephine, a daughter of General Columbus O'Don-
nell, and had tiie following named children :
i, Charles O'Donnell'', born the Sth of February, 1841; married,
nth November, 1869, Matilda Dale Jenkins, and had Josephine Jen-
kins, Thomas Sim. Charles Stewart, Maiilda, Samuel Gouvcrneur, Mary
Digges, Louisa Carroll, Charles O'Donnell, Gertrude, and Adrian
Iselin Lee*. Of th.ese children, all are living excepting Matilda, born
ist of June. 1S75 ; died nth of June, iSyo; and Samuel Gouverneur,
born ist of February, 1877; died 2otli of June, 1S92.
> This brief sketch is chielly JcriveJ from the Pa^i Fu»ti.'y in Virginia, New \'orl;, 1S83.
.• :c rftM- -aii ,n:
u. Ar.rS
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4S6
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
if, Marv Digges', born 9th of September, 1842; married, 1872. Robert
Goodlow Harper Carroll, being his second wife; they have Charles
and Albert Henry Carroll,
iii, William', born 12th of September, 1844; married, January, 1S67,
iMary Frances Matthias, and had Mary, Josephine O'Donnell (born
June, 1S69, and died in infoncy), Ellen Lynch, William and Mildred
Lee».
iv, Columbus O'Donxell*, bora in November, 1S53; \vas married, on
the 22d of June. 1S76, to Hannah Anne l>son, and had: James
Tyson (born the 3d of Mav, 1879, and died the 13th of June, iSSr),
Josephine, Hannah, Columbus O'Donnell, Philip Francis, Jessie Tysoni
Mordecai Lewis Dauson, Frederick Collins, and Edward Jackson
Lee *.
^: • DR- Charles Carroll Lee, LL. D.
62. Charles Carroll', the eldest son of John Lee « (Thomas Sim »,
Thomas*, Philip \ Richard ^. Richard') and Harriet Carroll, his wife, wa^
born at Philadelphia in the year 1S39 and died at New York City the loth
of May, 1S93. Dr. Lee spent the earlier years of his life in ALaryland ;
was graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsyl-
vania in 1S59 ; served for some time on the medical staff of the army dur-
ing the late war; tlien settled at New York, where he practiced his profes-
sion with much success. He was professor of gynascology in the New York
Post-Graduate School, consulting surgeon to the Charitv Hospital, to the
Women's Hospital, the St. Elizabeth's Hospital, and to the Foundling
Asylum ; was a member of the American Gynecological Society, of the
Academy of Medicine, Obstetrical Society, and Pathological Society, of
New York. The Board of Trustees of the New ^'ork Post-Graduate Sch.'ool,
in their resolutions of regret at his death, said : "Dr. Lee was a teacher of
the highest rank, being able to intently interest his hearers, and to convey
to them a clear sen.se of his views upon the cases in his Aery important de-
partment. Dr. Lee was a Christian gentleman, who had bound himself to
his associates and to those who were instructed by him by the most affec-
tionate ties."
At the time of his death he was the President of the Medical Society
of the county of New York, which society, in their resolutions, state that
"the lo.ss uhich we mourn is by no means limited to our societv, our city,
or even our country. Wherever the profession of medicine is to-dav prac-
ticed as a science, there will the death of Dr. Lee be recognized as \ mis-
fortune."
, (■ ' ■ • ». t.'.J
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 487
Dr. Lee married Helen Parribh, cf Phihidelplva, and had these cliil-
dren : Sarah Redwood, Richard Henry (born the 26th of May, 1S67, and
died tlie 30th of March, 1S68), Thoma.s Sim, James Parrish, Charles Car-
roll (horn the 29th of l'"el>ruary, 1S72, and died the i8th of January, 1S75),
Mary Helen (born the Sih of January, 1S75, and died the Sth of April,
1876), Helen, and Mary Digges Lee *.
George Lee.
63. George \ the only son of George Lee® (George^, Thomas Lud-
well*, Thomas', Richard ■, Richard ') and Sailie Moore Henderson, his wife,
was born at Leesburg the 3d of May, 1S31 ; died at Brooklyn, X. Y., the
14th of April, 1892. He was married, on the 27th of June, 1S60, to his
cousin, Laura Frances, daughter of General Asa Rogers and Eleanor Lee
Orr, his wife, uf Let-sburg. (Eleanor Lee Orr was the daughter of Dr. John
Dalr}-mple Orr and Lucinda Lee, his wife. Lucinda Lee was the daughter
of Thomas Ludwcll Lee, of "Bellvue. ") George and Laura Frances
(Rogers) Lee had these children, now living: Hugh Douglass, Eleanor Orr,
Asa Rogers, and Arthur Lee*. Hugh Douglass Lee is at present the repre-
sentative in the male line of Thomas Lee, of Stratford.
Richard Henrv Lee.
64. Richard HenK)'', the third son of Richard Henry Lee® (Lud-
wcll *, Richard Henry*, Thomas', Richard '^ Richard^) and Anna itlden
Jordan, his second wife, %\as born at Leesburg, the 2 2d of August, 1S31 ;
died at Lewistown, Pa., the 2St'i of December, 1891. Mr. Lee was edu-
cated at Washington College, Pa., from which institution he graduated, in
1849, at the age of only eighteen. He was a civil engineer by profession,
but had been lately the superintendent of iron works at Lewistown, and
had been for many years rector's warden of St. Shirk's Episcopal Church,
of that place. Mr. Lee was married, on the 24th of IVLiy, 1858, to Mary
Wilson, and had :
i, Richard PIenkv"*, born 12th of April, 1S59 ; married, June, 1S94,
Catharine ^L Sheaffer, and has, Richard Henry, born 13th of ^L^rch,
1S95.
ii, Agnes Wilsun\ born 24th of March, 1S68; married, June, 1894,
Albert Ladd Colby.
FrancIs Lightfoot Lee.
65. Francis Lightfoot'', the sixth son of Richard Henry Lee® (Lud-
welP, Richard Henry*, Thomas \ Richard', Richard 'j and Anna Eden
Jordan, his second wife, was born at Washington, Pa., the i6th of July,
: : i !;Mjf:,'..',:l ,_ '
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4^8 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
1840; died the 24th of May, iSSi ; was married, in 1865, to Mary Duncan
Mahon, and had :
i, Agnes Mary*, born the 17th of November, 1S66 ; died the 15th of
December, 1867.
ii, Anna Eden\ born 28th of April, 1S68; married Robert E. Peterson,
of Philadelphia, and has two children, Robert E. and Eleanor Bouvier.
iii, Mary', born the 13th of May, 187 1.
iv, Sophia Mahon \ born the ist of May, 1875.
Francis Preston Bl^air Lee.
66. Francis Preston 'Blair'", the only son of Samuel Phillips Lee'
(Francis Lightfoot^ Richard Henry*, Thomas \ Richard", Richard') and
Elizabeth Blair, his wife, was born at "Silver Spring," Md., the 9th of
August, 1S57; was married, on the ist of October, 1891, to Anne Clymer,
daughter of Edward and Anne (Clymer) Brooke, of Birdsboro, Pa. They
have one son, Edward Brooke Lee, born at Washington, D. C, the 21,6. of
October, 1S92. Mr. Lee is a lawyer, and resides at Washington.
William Hill Lee.
67. William Hill', the eldest son of John Fitzgerald Lee* (Francis
Lightfoot% Richard Henry \ Thomas \ Richard-, Richard M and Eleanor
Anne Hill, his wife, was born at Washington, D. C, the 7th of March,
1846; was married, on the 3d of November, 1S69, to Julia, daughter of
Henry and Julia M. (Hunt) Turner. Mr. Lee is president of the Mer-
chants' National Bank of St. Louis, where he resides. They have had the
following nam.ed children :
i, Ele.^nor Hill-, born the 6th of October, 1870; died the i8th of
December, 1874.
ii, Henry Turner ^ born the 27th of June, 1872.
iii, Julia HuNT^ born the 22d of September, 1874; died the 27th of
September, 1877.
iv, Janet FITZ(,ERALD^ born the i6th of January, 1S77.
v, William Hill*, born the 2 6ih of September. 1879 ; died the 8th of
January, 1889.
vi, ^L^RGAREr Luretto', born the i6th of Januarv, 1883.
vii, Marianne", born the 25th of September, 1884.
George Taylor Lee.
68. Geor.,e Taylor", the eldest son of Charles Carter Lee« (Henry \
Henry*, Henry \ Richard-, Richard ') and Lucy Penn Taylor, his wife.
T *l ) (
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was born at Richmond the 8th of March, 184S. He married, on the 15th
of ^Tay, 1SS8, Mrs. Ella Marion (Cioodrum) Fletcher, the widow of Dr.
James Jefferson Fletcher, and daii^diter of William and Caroline (Town-
send) Goodrum, of Lonoke, Arkansas; slie was born the 30th of April,
1863. They ha\"e two children : Charles Carter aiKl Lucy Randoljjh Lee*.
Mr. Lee lives at Johnson City, Tenn., where he practices law.
Henry Lee.
69. Henry ', the second son of Charles Carter Lee " (Henry ^, Henry *,
Henry \ Richard', Richard ') and Lucy Penn Taylor, his wife, was born the
9th of July, 1849; he married, on the 19th of July, 1S88, Lilian Elizabeth,
daughter of John Anderson and Susan Caroline (Malcolm) V/oollen, and
has three children: Charles Carter, Robert Henry, and Virj^inia Lilian
Lee*. Mr. Lee resides at Winston, X. C.
Robert Randolph Lee.
70. Robert Randolph ^ ti\e third son of Charles Carter Lee*
(Henry ^, Henry*, Henry ^ Richard", Richard') and Lucy I'enn Taylor,
his wife, was born the 22d of Ma}-, 1S53 ; he married, on the 4th of Feb-
ruary, 1886, Alice Wilkinson, and has two sons : William Carter and Robert
Randolph Lee ^ Mr. Lee resides on his father's old estate in Powhatan
county.
Major-General Fitzhugh Lee.
71. Fitzhugh ', the eldest son of Sydney Smith Lee ^ (Henry ^, Henry *,
Henry*, Richard ^ Richard^) and Anna Maria Mason, his wife, was born
at '* Clermont," Fairfl\x county, the 19th of Xovem.ber, 1S35. Of his boy-
hood days little is known, save that he is spoken of by friends as a bright,
manly boy, full of life and fun ; preferring the ])lcas'Lires and exercises of
the playground to the dull routine of the school-room, a trait not uncom-
mon among boys. When sixteen he entered the Military Academy at
West Point, where he was graduated in July, 1S56, at the head of his class
in horsemanship, and was appointed second lieutenant in the famous old
Second Cavalry, which regiment furnished so many oUicers afterward dis-
tinguished in the civil war. His first important duty was in drilling and dis-
ciplining raw recruits at the Carlisle Barracks, in Pennsylvania, where he
gave evidence of ability in organizing troops. It was probably the ability
shown on this duty that led to his being appointed, a few years later, an
instructor of ca\alryat West Point. After leaving Carlisle, Lieutenant Lee
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49° LEE OF VIRGINIA.
served upon the frontier against the Indians. The following sketch of
"Fitzhugh Lee as an Indian fighter," from the pen of an old army com-
rade, is of interest, telling both of the adventures of the subject of this
sketch, and giving the experiences of the soldiers on the ** plains" in a
species of warfare now happily past.'
''In 1S59 I was a bugler of ' B ' Company of the 2d U. S. Cav-
alry (now the 5th), having enlisted in the army at the age of thirteen
years. The officers of the company were : Captain, E. Kirby Smith ; ist
Lieutenant, Walter Jenifer, and 2d Lieutenant, Fitzhugh Lee.
"At the time of which I write the company formed a part of the
Wichita expedition, composed of six companies of the 2d Cavalry and
commanded by Brevet Major Earl Van Dorn, Captain 2d Cavalry ; Lieut.
Lee acting as Adjutant. This expedition was organized for the purpose of
operating against the main villages of the hostile Indians, whose depreda-
tions on the people of Texas had become unbearable. These Indians,
leaving their families and villages in the far-distant Indian Territory, would
form into small bands and, penetrating into the very heart of the settle-
ments, murder men, women, and children, and return in comparative safety
to their villages with their spoils of scalps and horses. The few mounted
troops in le.xas at that time were widely scattered, the posts being from
100 to 150 miles apart, and, although tlie otticers and men were ever on the
alert, still the Indians' knowledge of the country, their plalnscraft and
ability to travel night and day, gave them a great advantage over the
soldiers, and made the chance of overtaking and punishing them very un-
certain. The object of the expedition, then, was to strike the large bands
congregated in their villages, give them a chastisement they would not
soon forget, and thereby put an end to the depredations on the people of
Texas. . . .
'•The approach to the Indians' stronghold could only be made on
foot and in open or skirmish order, as the undergrowth was so thick as to
be almost impenetrable. Several charges were made, one being led bv Major
Van Dorn in person, but all were forced back, due as much to the obstacles
they encountered as to the fire of the Indians. At this juncture Lieut. Lee
asked permission to lead a charge against one of the flanks of the Indians'
position, which was granted, and resulted in the capture of a large number
of women and children and a (cw warriors who were mixed up with them.
In a second charge he struck the Indians within a few yards of their main
body, and a desperate encoiniter ensued. In pressing forward in advance
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVEXTH GENERATION. 49I
of his men Lieut. Lee came face to face with an Indian brave. He raised
his pistol, the Indian drew his bow and both fired at the same instant. The
lieutenant's bullet struck the Indian squarely between the eyes and the In-
dian's arrow entered his right side under his extended arm, and, passing
between the ribs, penetrated the right lung. The force and shock of the
wound caused Lieut. Lee to stagger for support against a tree, whence he
was assisted to a place of safety by his men. It was at this time that Major
Van Dorn was made aware of Lieut. Lee's accident, and, taking me with
him, hastened to where he lay stretched on tlie ground in an ap])arently dying
condition. He motioned me to him, and I sat down beside hiui, taking
his head in my lap. The blood was streaming from his mouth. l.'Ut not a
drop came from his wound. He was unable to speak, but could, by mo-
tions, make himself understood. The surgeon was soon on the spot, and
used all his skill to stop the i\o\v of blood, which threatened to strangle the
patient, but was only partially successful.
" Lieut. Lee's condition was deemed very critical — so much so that
Major Van Dorn thought it advisable to take down any message he
might wish to send his parents, and my recollectiDii is that the leller,
as dictated, was addressed jointly to his father and mother. It was
necessarily very brief, as he could only speak with great effort, and one
sentence still remains fresh in my memory. It was that ' he ^^■as dying a
soldier's death, the one he preferred above all others.' In the meantime,
the troops had overwhelmed the Indians, killing 55 warriors and taking
numerous prisoners. In the last assault, my captain — E. Kirby Smith — was
severely, but not dangerously, wounded. Now that the fight was over, the
officers gathered around their wounded comrade with expressions of sym-
pathy and sorrow. They soon dispersed, however, at the request of the
surgeon, who feared bad effects for his patient from the excitement of their
presence. Lieut. Lee remained perfectly still for several minutes after they
left, when, looking u[) at me, he said: -Jack, you are going to lose }our
best friend.' This caused me to feel much depressed, as I was sincerely
attached to him," but an incident which took place a little later made me
feel differently. .-\t that time a Lieut. Kimmel, an old West Point com-
rade, who had only just heard of his friend's misfortune, being at a distant
part of the field, came rushing up and, taking both of Lieut. Lee's hands,
said: ' Fitz:, old man. we can't afford to lose you,' together with many
other exj^ressions of love and sympathy ; and as the sufferer seemed jileased
and interested, continued, saying: * I had a close call myself,' and took off
his hat and showed where a bullet had passed through it. Lieut. Lee, with
a faint smile on his face, turned his head toward Kimmel and said between
492 LEE OK VIRGINIA.
gasps : ' Kimmel, do you wish me to believe an Indian shot that hole in
your hat ! Acknowledge the corn, old man ; didn't you go behind a tree
and shoot the hole in your hat yourself?' After that I never doubted he
would get well, but he had a hard struggle, and it was many months before
he entirely recovered. . . .
" Soon after our arrival at Camp Colorado, Lieut. Lee was granted
permission to visit Austin, the capital of the State, to witness the inaugura-
tion of General Sam. Houston as Governor, and took me with him. We
. traveled by ambulance and, after taking in the inauguration, started on our
return via San Antonio, then, as now, the liveliest city in Texas. After a
few days spent in San Antonio, we started for our station, arriving there on
the evening of the 12th of January, 1S60, in the midst of a Texis norther
and snow-storm. A short time before, two men of the company, who had
been on a hunting pass, came in and reported having seen a party of Indians
driving a large band of hor.cs ar.d mules al;out sixteen miles from the post.
As none but hostile Indians ever visited that part of the country and then
only for the purpose of murder and plunder, preparations were made at once
to pursue them, and, inside of an hour from our arrival at the post, Lieut.
Lee, with a detachment of twelve men, was in the saddle and riding for the
place where the Indians had been seen. The wind was blowing a gale and
the snow drifting so as to make our progress very slow, and, in consequence,
we did not reach the point where the Indians had been seen until after day-
light. Their trail was soon found, but, on account of the heavy fall of snoV
covering it in places and the precautions taken by the Indians to hide it,
such as driving their animals in a circle and other devices, it was slow work
following it for the first ics^■ miles, but after that, the Indians having become
careless, we were able to follow it at a trot and kept that gait without a halt
or rest until niglit set in and it was too dark to follow further. We then
halted for the first time since leaving the post eighteen hours before, not to
go into camp but to sit and walk about until it was light enough to again
take up the trail. Fortuna^.-Iy, the nortlier had blown itself out during the
night, but it was still very cold and, no fire being allowed, we breakfasted
on hard tack and frozen pork. When the time came to mount our horses,
someot the men were .so stiff they had to be as.si=ted into their saddles.'
We had not traveled far before we came to where the Indians had halted
tor a short time, killed a colt and cooked a part of it. From these indica-
tions we inferred that they could not be very far ahead of us and spurred
on with renewed vigor. As the sun was out bright and strong, causing the
snow to melt rapidly, the trail was now easy to follow and ran a course
parallel to a ridge which extended northward tor several miles. This ridge
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 493
was covered by a heavy growth of cedar trees, with occasional clear spaces.
i*ressing forward on the trail, which was becoming fresher each mile, one
of our party discovered an object in the timber to our right and I was
ordered to ascertain what it was. After going about 300 yards, I was able
to make out that it was a loose pony, and, turning to rejoin the command,
saw the Indians going over a hill less than half a mile ahead. Luckily they
did not see me, and, putting spurs to my horse, I soon joined the command
and reported my discovery to Lieut. Lee, who immediately halted, ordered
the men to divest themselves of their overcoats and other impedimenta, and
carefully examir.e their arms. Then, drawing our pistols, we moved for-
ward at a fast gallop, and, rising the hill, came in full view of the objects of
our pursuit, who, owing to being niufHed up in their blankets and robes,
had not as yet seen us. Indeed, we could have gotten right on them but
for the accidental discharge of a pistol by one of the men, which gave the
Indians notice.
" Lieut. I,ee immediately ordered the charge, and the men dashed for-
ward with yells and cheers, following the scattering Indians, who were too
much surprised to make a stand, but broke for the timber on the ridge to
our right. In the pursuit I found myself with Lieut. Lee and one other
man trying to intercept two of the Indians before they could reach the tim-
ber. One was killed at the edge, but the other being mounted on a remark-
ably fast pony not only succeeded in getting to the timber, but had the
audacity to turn and fire several arrows at us before entering. But Lieut.
Lee was determined he should not escape, and we followed him into the
timber and for several miles along the ridge. The cedar trees grew very
thick in places, and we would at times ride several hundred yards without
catching sight of our Indian, and then again, striking into one of the clear
spaces, we would find ourselves close upon him, when Lieut. Lee would take
a snap shot at him with a carbine he had borrowed from the man with us,
but without effect. This continued for about seven miles, when we came
to where the ridge ended in ravines opening out into the prairie. We had
lost sight of our Indian for some time, but the tracks of his pony in the
melting snow were quite plain and easily followed. Presently the tracks
led into a dark ravine. Here we separated, Lieut. Lee taking one side and
I the other, the third man following the trail. We had only gone a few
hundred yards when the lieutenant called to me to come to his side of the
ravine, as he wished to speak to me, and, as I turned to comply, I saw the
Indian come out of the ravine we had passed, on foot, and run over the hill
toward a ravine on the other side. I instantly called out, ' There he goes,
lieutenant,' and the latter turned just in time to see him disappear over the
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494 LEE OF VIRGINIA. .1 • •
hill. We immediately galloped to the point where he disappeared, but could
see nothing of him anywhere, but dismounting soon discovered his moccasin
tracks leading down the hill into a thicket. Leaving our horses in charge
of the other man, we entered the brush abreast, with an interval between us
of about thirty 3ards. Lieut. Lee still wore his overcoat, made of heavy
cloth with cape, and was armed with an old-fashioned muzzle-loading
carbine and a Colt's revolver. I had a pistol only. After making our way
cautiously into the brush for a couple of hundred yards, Lieut. Lee called
to me, ' Jav"k, keep a good look out now, for he is not far off; here is his
blanket,' which he picked up from the ground and threw across the carbine
he carried on his left shoulder and started forward. At this time the Indian
was only a (ew yards away, crouching behind a small ledge of rocks, where
he remained until Lieut. Lee was almost on top of him, when, straightening
up with a yell, he let drive an arrow full at his breast. This the lieutenant
avoided by jumping to one side, but it was shot with such force and at such
close range that, after passing through the cape and left sleeve of his coat,
it struck the stock of the carbine he carried and broke in two. In jumping
aside Lieut. Lee dropped the carbine and was left with his pistol only,
which he thrust toward the Indian to fire, when the latter grasped it by the
barrel with his left hand and turned the muzzle t"ron"i him. In this position
the pistol was discharged without injury to either, and, in the struggle that
ensued for its possession, it fell to the ground, and for the time was lost to
both of the coml«atants. A desperate hand-to-hand struggle now ensued,
the Indian attempting to use his knife and Lieut. Lee closing with him
to prevent him. The whole thing was so sudden and startling that for a
moment I was pov.-erless to move and stood still in my tracks, but, hearing
the lieutenant call my name, I hurried to his assistance. The Indian was
the larger and stronger man, and he flung his antagoni^t about with apparent
ease, but could not down him. Seeing me approach with my pistol pre-
sented, he managed to place the lieutenant between him and me, and I was
afraid to shoot for fear I might liir my officer. An instant later* greatly to
my surprise and joy, 1 saw the Indian hurled to the ground, Lieut. Lee
falling on top — one of the [)rettiest falls I have ever seen. Xow one of
those fortunate circumstances took place which seldom happen more than
once in a lifetime. As Lieut. Lee was falling he saw his pistol, which had
been dropped in the struggle, lying on the ground and within reach. With
great presence of mind he manau'ed to free his right arm, grasp and cock
the jiistol and fire a Iniilet through the Indian's cheek.s, while another shot
better aimed sent him to the 'happy hunting grounds.'
"As soon as he could free himself from the embrace of the Indian, he
STkATFOKD LINK, SEVENTH Gf.Sl.y ATIOS. 495
arose to his feet and commenced to feel over his body for knife or ariow
wounds, but, fortunately, though his clothing was cut in many places, his
skin was not touched. This was due to the heavy clothing he had on,
especially to the overcoat, the material of which was unusually thick and
heavy.
" I remarked to hirn : ' You had a pretty close call with the Indian.'
He replied, at the same time extending his arms, ' Yes, he was a big fellow,
but I was only getting my muscle up with him and feel now that I could
get away with half a dozen just like him.' Later, on my asking him how
he succeed'^] in throwing the Indian, he said:
"'He was very strong, as far as brute strength went, but he knew
nothing of the science of wrestling. For a time, though, I thought he
would get me, when I happened to think of a trick in wrestling which I
learned during my school days in Virginia. It v.as known as the "Virginia
dack heciy I tried it on him z.x\^ fotched him.'
"Lieut. I^c v.as complimented in orders by his department com-
mander and the commanding general of the army. General Scott, but I
doubt if any one ever heard him talk of his achievements as a young man
on the jjlains of Texas, as he is altogether too modest to speak of his own
exploits. E. M. Ha^es, Major, 7th Cavalry."
"Foit Clark, Texas, January, 1895."
The o'jbreak of the civil war found Fitzhugh Lee at West Point, an
instructor of cavalry tactics. Every endeavor v,-as made to induce him to
continue at his post. He was told that if he vv-ere not willing to fight
against his State, he could ren;ain during the war at West Point, where
good pay and easy duty woild be his portion. Rejecting these tempting
offers, he promptly resigned and ofifered his services to his native State,
lieing appointed adjutant-general on the staff of General Ewell, he served
in that ca[yacity during the campaign of the first Manassas. In .September,
1S61, he v.as appointed lieutenant-colonel of the First Virginia Cavalry,
of which Stuart was then colonel. On the promotion of Stuart, he was
chosen colonel, and, later, brigadier-general under Sf^rt. When Stuart
made his famous raid around McClellan, Colonel I^e accompanied him.
In 1863, the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia were divided into
two divisions ; Generals Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee were appointed to
command them. Some time after the death of Stuart, Fitzhugh Lee suc-
ceeded Hampton as the commander of the cavalry of the Army of Northern
Virginia, with rank of major-general. So much for the various positions
held by hirn. To give a fiill sketch of his army services, of the battles
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496 LEK OF VIRGINIA.
participated in, of the special raids, of the daring scouting parties, or of the
skill with which he aided in covering movements of the army, and that,
too, with such a meagre force — to tell all this would be to w-rite a
history of the achievements of the Army of Northern Virginia. Suffice
it to say, that (reneral Fitzhugli Lee was frequently commended and always
trusted by his superior ofncers, and was the idol of his brave troopers.
That the cavalry arm of the vSouthern armies was not able to accom-
plish more, or to better hold its own against the greater numbers and
much better equipped troopers of the enemy, was never due to any lack of
bravery on the part of the soldiers nor to want of skill and daring on the
part of their ofncers. The Southern cavalry was never properly mounted
nor armed, and seldom did man or beast receive sufficient rations. But all
this is well known, and needs no further statement. After the war. Gen-
eral Lee retired to his desolated farm in Stafford county, and, like the rest
of his brave comrades, v^ent to work. And it was hard work ! He him-
self has said of it : '-I had been accustomed all my life to draw corn from
the quartermaster, and found it rather hard now to draw it from an obsti-
nate soil, but I did it f' In the autumn of 1S85, General Lee was elected
Governor of Virginia, thus following the footsteps of his grandfather, Gen-
eral Henry Lee.
General Lee was married at Alexandria, on the 19th of April, 1S71,
to Ellen Bernard, daughter of George D. and Sarah Ellen (Hooe) Fowle,
of that place ) they have five children : Ellen, Fitzhugh, George, Nannie,
and Virginia Lee'-
Major John Mason Lee.
72. John ^LA.50N ', the third son of Sydney Smith Lee^ (Henry*,
Henry*, Henry ^ Richard", Richard') and Anna Maria Mason, his wife,
was born at " Clermont," Fairfax county, the 4th of January, 1S39 ; mar-
ried, on the 25th of October, 1S71, Nora, the youngest daughter of Dr.
William and F)orothea (Minor) Bankhead. of Caroline county; they have
five children : Nannie Mason. Dorothea Bankhead, Bessie Winston, John
Mason, and William Bankhead Lee \ John Mason Lee served in the Con-
federate arms-, rising to the rank of major.
Henrv Carter Lee.
73. Henrv Carter', the fourth son of Sydney Smith Lee** (Henry \
Henry*, Henry \ Richard-, Richard ') and .Anna Maria Mason, his wife,
was born at "Clermont," Fairfax county, the 9th of January. 1.S42; mar-
ried, on the 24th of September, 1S68, Sally liuchanan Floyd, daughter of
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John Warfield Johnston and Xichetti Buchanan Floyd, his wife ; they have
issue: Johnston, Sydney Smith, William Floyd, and Anne Mason Lee*.
Henry Carter Lee joined the " Richmond Howitzers " at the outbreak of
the late civil war ; later was transferred to the staff of General W. C. Wick-
ham, upon which he served as adjutant-general. He died at Richmond on
the 6th of June, 18S9.
Daniei- Mufkav Lee. '■
74. Daniel Murray', the fifth son of Sydney Smith Lee® (Henry ^,
Henry*, Henry', Richard", Richard^) and Anna TvLiria .\Lison, his wife,
was born at Alexandria, tlic 14th of July, 1S43; '"narricd, on the 14th of
October, 1S74, Nannie E., daughter of Joseph Burwell and Ann Eliza
(Fitzhugh) Ficklin, of "Belmont," near Fredericksl>urg ; they have issue:
Daniel Murray, Jr., Joseph Burwell Ficklin, Edmonia Corbin, Sydney
Smith, Mary Custis, and Henry Fitzhugh Lee*. Daniel Murray Lee
served in the Confederate navy for four years; is now farming near Fred-
ericksburg.
^L■^.IOR- General George Washington Custis Lee.
75. George Washixgion Clstls', the eldest son of Rol)ert F^dward
Lee* (Henry % Henry*, Henry ^^ Richard", Richard^) and Mary .\nne
Randolph Custis, his wife, was born at Fortress Monroe. Virginia, on the
i6th of September, 1S32. His earlier school days were jiasscd at •' Clar-
ens," in Fairfax county, at the classical >chool of the late Rev. George A.
Smith ; later, he entered the celebrated mathematical school of Benjamin
Hallowell, at Alexandria, wliere his fatlit-r had studied before him. Presi-
dent Zachaiy Taylor nominated him to a cadctship at West Point, and he
entered that institution in June, 1850. In June, 1S54, he graduated at the
head of his class, having passed the four years of study there without
receiving a si/iglt' dfnurit. He was then assigned to the corps of engi-
neers witli the rank of brevet second lieutenant; in 1S55, he was made
full sec'.Mtd lieutenant, and in 1S59, first lieutenant. During his seven
years service in tlie U. S. army he was on duty in the engineer bureau at
Washington, in Georgia, Florida, and California, engaged in harbor de-
fenses and river improvements. On tlie :?d of May, 1861, he resigned
from the U. S. arni}' to enter the service of his native State; lie was
appointed major of engineers, and when the Virginia forces were turned
over to tl'C ( "on fctlerate States government, he was commissioned a cap-
tain of engineers, (.'. S. A. _()n the las', of .August, 1S61, he was appointed
aide-de-c;ur,p to the Pre^ident of the (.'oni'ederate States, with rank of
3-
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49^ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
colonel. During his service on the President's staff he was engaged in
supervising the defenses of Richmond. Toward the end of June, 1863,
he was made a brigadier-general to command troops for the defense of
Richmond against cavalry raids, etc. During the summer of 1S64 he was
appointed a major-general to command a division which operated on the
lines below Richmond, from Chatnn's Bluff northward, in which command
he continued until the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg.
In the autumn of 1S65 General Lee received the appointment to the
chair of Civil and Military Engiiieering at the Virginia Military Institute,
at Lexington.
He continued in this professorship until after the death of his father,
when (on the ist of February, 1S71) he was elected President of Washing-
ton and Lee L'niversity, which position he now holds.
Mr. Davis held General Custis Lee in such high estimation that he
considered him the proper man to succeed his father in command of the
Army of Northern Virginia should occasion for a successor arise. Of this
statement the Rev. J. William Jones has given this proof: Mr. Jones
writes :'
" I have the following from the lips of the distinguished officer who
related it. When General was compelled by failing health to ask to
be relieved from a certain important command, he went to Richmond to
confer with Proident Davis as to his successor, and to endeavor to impress
upon him the very great importance of the district, and of the commander
being a man of fine abilities. Mr. Davis fully sympathized with his views,
and, after reflection, said : -I know of no better man for that position than
General Custis Lee. To show you my estimate of his ability, I will say
that, when some time ago I thought of sending General Robert Lee to com'-
rnand the Western army, I had determined that hi'; son Custis should suc-
ceed him in command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Now I wish you
to go up and see General Lee. tell him what I say, and ask him to order
General Custis Lee to the command of that department. Tell him I will
make his son major-general, lieutenant-general, or, if need be, full general,
so that he may rank any officer likely to be sent to that department.'
"General promptly sought Lee's headquarters, delivered Mr. •
Davis' message and urged a compliance. But to all of his arguments and
entreaties the old chieftain had but one reply : ' I am very much obliged to
Mr. Davis for his high opinion of Custis Lee. I hope that, if he had the
opportunity, he would prove hin)self in some measure worthy of that confi-
1 Personal Reminiscences ,-/ General Fnhert E. Lee, pp. 181-3.
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 499
dence. But, he is an untried man in the field, and I cannot appoint him to
that command. Very much against his wishes and my own, Mr. Davis has
kept him on his personal staff, and he has had no opportunity to prove his
ability to handle an army in the field. Whatever may he the opinion of
others, I cannot pass by my tried officers and take for that important posi-
tion a comparatively new man — especially when' that man is m,y own son.
Mr. Davis can make the assignment if he thinks proper — I shall certainly
not do so.' "
When his brother, \V. H. F. Lee, was a prisoner of war, and held as
a hostage under sentence of death, General Custis Lee requested, under a
special flag of truce, the Northern authorities to be allowed to take his
brother's place as a prisoner in solitary confinement and under sentence of
death, giving as his reason for the proposed exchange his desire to save
from sorrow the innocent and sick wife of his wounded brother. His
request was refused, on the ground that the burden of war must remain
upon those on whom it had chanced to fall.
Major-General William Henrv Fitzhugh Lee.
76. William Henrv Fitzhugh', the second son of Ro1>ert Edward
Lee* (Flenry % Henry *. Henry *, Richard ', Richard ') and Mary Anne Ran-
dolph Custis, his wife, was born at Arlington, Alexandria county, the 31st
of May, 1837 ; died at '•■ Ravensworth." Fairfax county, the 15th of Octo-
ber, 1S91. After a thorough preparatory course of study, first under the
Rev. George A. Smith, near Alexandria, then with a Mr. McXally at
Baltimore, and, lastly, under the care of a Mr. Nugent at New York City,
he entered Harvard College in the autumn of 1S54. One who also entered
the freshman class of that year has given a sketch of him as he appeared at
that time :
"My acquaintance with William Henry Fitzhugh Lee commenced in
the summer of 1S54, when we met at Cambridge as members of the fresh-
man class at Harvard College. He was just then entering his eighteenth year,
was well grown for his age, tall, vigorous, and robust ; open and frank in
his address, kind and genial in his manners. Fie entered upon his college
life with many advantages in his favor. The name of Lee was already upon
the rolls of the university, for other representatives of different branches of
the family had entered and graduated in the \ ears gone by, and had left
pleasant mc-mories behind them. His distinguished lineage made him a
welcome guest in the ohler families of the University city, and of Boston,
its near neighbor, who felt a just pride in the historic and traditional assu
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500 LEE OF VIRGINIA. '."»'■
ciations connected with the earlier history of the country, and many of the
influential members of the class belon_L:ed to such families.
■" He was rather older than the average age of his classmates, and his
life had been sjicnt amid surroundings that enabled him to see a good deal of
society and the world, so that he l)rought with him into his college a more
matured miiid and a greater insight than the student usuoliy possesses at the
threshold of his career. He had enjoyed excellent advantages in preparing
for the entering examinations, and was well grounded in the languages
as well as mathematics, so that he entered the class well fitted for the course
of study to be pursued. Thus, from the first, he was prominent in the
university, and soon became popular among his classmates, and his promi-
nence and popularity v.as maintained during his stay among us.
"This was due not to superior distinction in any particular study or
in any one feature of college life, but rather to his general standing and
characteristics, fie kept pace with his classmates in the recitation-room,
not so much by hard and continuous study as by his quick comprehension
and ready grasp of the subject in hand and the general fund of knowledge
at his command. He was of a friendly and comjianionable nature, and
there were abundant opportunities in a large class to develop this dispo-
sition, cultivate social intercourse, and strengthen the bonds of good fellow-
ship. He had been accustomed to an out-door life in his Virginia home,
and his man!.- training had given him an athletic frame which required
constant and vigorous exercise. This he sought in active sports on the
fo'it-ball ground and in class and college boat clubs, where he was welcomed
as a valuable auxiliary." fExtracc from the remarks of Senator Samuel
Pasco, U. S. Senate, 4th March, 1S92.)
In 1857 Mr. Lee was appointed a lieutenant in the army at the per-
sonal request of Creneral Scott, who wrote to the Secretary of War, urging
his appointment in the following complimentary terms:
'' Headquarters of the .\nny, 8th May, 1S57. Hon. J. B. Floyd, Secretary of War, Sir:
I beg to ask that one of the vacant second lieutenantcies be given to W. H. F. Lee, son of
Brevet Colonel R. E lee, at pre-ent on duty against the Comanches. I make this applica-
tion mainly on the extraordinary meri's of the father, the very best soldier that I ever saw
in the field. But the son is himself a very remarkatile youth, now about twenty, of a fine
stature and constitution, a good linguist, a go<.d mathematician, and about to graduate at
Harvard University. He ii also honorable and amiable, like his father, and dying to enter
the army. I do not a-'< this commission as a favor, though if I had influence I should be
happy to exert it in this case My application is in the name of national justice, in part
payment (and but a >mall part) of the debt due to the invaluable services of Colonel Lee.
I have the honor to be,'' etc.
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Upon receivinji his appointment to the army, Mr. Lee left Harvard to
join his regiment, the Sixth Infantry. His first military service was to
command a detachment of soldiers on their way to join the main body,
then in Te.xas. Later he accompanied his regiment, then under the com-
mand of the brave and skillful Albert Sydney Johnston, in his expedition
against the Mormons. After the disturbances in Utah were quieted he
marched with his regiment to the Pacific coast, then a very tedious journey.
Lieut. Lee soon became tired of the dull routine of garrison life, and re-
signed his commission in the army. Returning to A^irginia, he married
Miss Charlotte Wickham, and settled, as a planter, on the famous old Custis
estate, the " White House," on the Pamunky river, once the home of the
Widow Custis when she married George Washington.
The following extracts from some letters written by Gen. R. E. Lee
to his son will show the training under which he grew up :
I hope you will always be distinguished for your avoidance of the universal bane,
whisky, and every immorality. Nor need you fear to be ruled out of the society that indulges
in it, for you will acquire their esteem and respect, as all venerate, if they do not practice,
virtue. I hope you will make many friends, as you will be thrown with those who deserve
this feeling. But indiscriminate intimacies you will tind annoying and entangling, and they
can be avoided by politeness and civility. When 1 think of your youth, impulsiveness, and
many temptations, your distance from me, and the ease (and even innocence) with which
you might commence an erroneous course, my he.irt quails within me and my whole frame
and being tremble at the possible resnlts. May Almighty God have you in His holy keep-
ing. To His merciful providence I commit you, and I will rely upon Him and the etficacy
of the prayers that will be daily and hourly offered up by those who love you.
A year or two later, on New Year's Day, 1S59, he writes:
I always thought and said tiiere was stuff in you for a good soldier, and I trust you will
prove it. I cannot express the gratitication I felt, in meeting Colonel May in New York, at
the encomiums he passed upon your soldiership, zeal, and devotion to your duty. But I was
more pleased at the report of your conduct ; that went nearer to my heart and was of inhnitely
more comfort to me. Hold on to your purity and virtue; they will proudly sustain you in
all trials and difficulties and cheer you in every calamity.
So, too, when the young lieutenant had married and settled down a
typical Virginian tanner :
I am glad to hear that your mechanics are all paid off and that you have managed your
funds so well as to have enough for your purposes. .\s you have commenced, I hope you
will continue never to e.\ceed your means. It will save you much anxiety and mortitica-
tion, and enable you to maiutain your independence of character and feeling. It is easier
to make our wishes conform to our means than to make our means conform to our wishes.
la fact, we w.ant but little. Our happiness depends upon our independence, the success oi
our operations, prosperity of our plans, health, contentment, and the esteem of our friends,
all of which, my dear son, I hope you may enjoy to the full.
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502 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
On the outbreak of the late civil war. Lieut. Lee raised a company of
cavalry and joined the Virginia troops. As another has said of him, he
"served in every grade, successively, from captain to major-general of
cavalry; he led his regiment in the famous raid around McClellan's army,
and was an active participant in all those brilliant achievements which made
the cavalry service so proficient.
" In the terrible fight at Brandy Station, loth June, 1S63, he was most
severely wounded, and was taken to the residence of Gen. W. C. Wickham,
a relative of his wife's, where he was made prisoner by a raiding party (sent
for the purpose), and was carried off, at great personal suffering, to Fortress
Monroe. From the latter place he was conveyed to Fort Latayette, where
he was contnied until March, 1864, and treated with great severity, being
held, with Capt. R. H. Taylor, under sentence of death, as hostages for two
Federal officers who were prisoners in Richmond, and whom it was thought
would be executed for some retaliatory measure.
"Exchanged in the spring of 1864, he returned to find his young wife
and children dead, his beautiful home burned to the ground, his whole
estate devastated and laid waste by the ruthless hand of war ; and yet almost
his first act on reaching Richmond was to go to Libby prison, visit the two
Federal officers for whom he had been held as hostage, and who, like him-
self, had been under apprehension of being hung, and shake hands with and
congratulate them. Lnmediately joining his command, he led his division
from the Rapidan to .Appomattox, where with his father, the greatest soldier
of modern times, he surrendered to the inevitable." (Extracts from the
remarks of Mr. E. E. Meredith, in the House of Representatives, 6 Feb-
ruary, 1 89 2.)
Another member of the House of Representatives paid this tribute :
'•'Throughout the struggle he discharged cverv duty and was equal to
every respon^ii-ility placed upon him. His soldiers loved and trusted him
as a father, for they knew he would sacrifice no life for empty glory. The
saddest chapter in all his life was when — a prisoner of war at Fort Monroe,
lying desperately wounded, with the threat of a retaliatory death sentence
suspended o\er his head, in hourly expectation of its execution — he heard
of the fatal illncr-s of his wife and two little childrei; but a few miles away.
Earnestly his friends begged that he relight be allowed to go and say the last
farewell to them on earth. .\ devoted brother came, like Damon of old,
and offered himself to die in ' Rooney's * place. War, inexorable war,
always stern and cruel, cojld not accept the substituted sacrifice, and while
the sick, wounded soldier, under sentence of death, lay, himself almost
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERAIK^N. 503
dying, in the dungeon of the fort, his wife and children 'passed over the
river to rest under the trees' and wait there his coming. Yet no word of
reproach ever passed his gentle lips. He accepted it all as the fortune of
war.
"In all the walks of life — as a student at college, as an ofificer in the
regular army, as a planter on the Paniunky, as a leader of cavalry in the
civil war, as a farmer struggling with the chaos and confusion that Leset him
under the new order of things following the abolition of slavery, as presi-
dent of the Virginia Agricultural Society, as State Senator, and as a member
of Congress — Gen. ^^'illiam H. ¥. Lee met every requirement, was equal to
every emergency, and left a name for honor, truth, and virtue which should
be a blessed heritage and the inspiration for a nobler and loftier life to all
those who shall succeed him." (Mr. Herbert Washington.)
As has been stated, General Lee was connected with the cavalry all
during the war, and, naturally, took the greatest pride in its efficiency, and
was jealous of its reputation. This branch of the service seems to have
been neglected b}- the Confederate Government, hence its inefficiency.
The following letter from General Lee, on this subject, will prove of
interest :
'* Richmond, 29th November, 1S64. Dear Sir: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your hater of the 23d instant, as to the require-
ments and principles to be observed in the reorganization of the cavalry,
and to-day comply as succinctly as possible with your wishes, relative to
my ideas on the subject.
"The cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia is composed of the
best material for troopers in the world. They are intelligent men, natu-
rally excellent riders, and mounted on good horses, and require only, to
make them more efncient, organization. First, more horse feed ; second,
to be more thorouglily and constantly drilled mounted ; third, to be better
armed. As far as my observation extends, the c:ivalry are well drilled on
foot and with the sabre, as far as laid down in the cavalry tactics, but could
not be perfected in the mounted drill for the reason that the horses, from
want of a sufficient supply of food, cannot stand the required work. The
enemy, on the contrary, being supi>licd in greater abundance, their mounted
drills are mere e.vercise for their horses; and, in this respect only (save in
numbers), is their cavalry superior to ours. Here is the advantage. Badly
drilled squadrons charged, the men scatter in every direction ; opposing
squadrons, well drilled, moving in compact mass, fall upon the isolated frag-
ments and overwhelm them in detail. Experience teaches the proper arms
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504 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
for cavalry to be— a pistol (Colt's nav y the be.-,t size), a breech-loading car-
bine (Sharp's preferred), and a sabre. The government has never been able
to supply the demand for cavalry arms ; they ought to be imported. Our
most efficient arms have been captured from the enemy, but of course not
in sufficient quantities to meet the demand.
"The government ought to furnish horses, at least to meritorious
troopers who are no longer capable of furnishing their own ; and next, to
all cavalry serving out of their own states. Existing orders now require
permanently dismounted men to be transferred to the infantry, which is
manifestly unjust to the deserving, well-trained trooper, whose circumstances
are reduced, in many instances, by the enemy's incursions and dejjrcdations.
Cases exist, however, sometimes requiring the transfer of cavalrymen to
infantry organizations; for such men, soldiers, particularly distinguished
for feats of courage, should be exchanged as an equivalent. The military
axiom, that in all v,ell-disciplined, drilled commands, one soldier is as good
as another, approximates to a nearer degree of truth with reference to the
infantry than cavalry; for whilst the former admit of a higher state of dis-
cipline, the latter fight more detached and scattered, and individual da^h
has a greater influence. It generally requires, too, more courage to go into
a fight on horseback tlian on foot. Should this principle be observed, the
infantry soldier would have an incentive to deeds of valor, viz. : the reward
of putting him on horseback — and cavalry be composed of men who would
ride up to and over almost anything.
"There should be //w//// and just legislation to provide payment for
all horses killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty, whether in
action or otherwise, as long as the ownership remains with individuals.
The regimental ([uartermaster ought to have the authority, with tlie ap-
proval of the Colonel, and upon the necessary certificates, to pay all such
accounts in his regiment.
"Now soldiers are paid for horses only when killed in battle, and the
accounts have to pa>s through so many liands that an unnecessary delay is
produced even in that payment. A courier riding his horse a given num-
ber of miles in a given time, bearing important dispatches, breaks his horse
down and has to abandon him, receives nothing, although he is ordered to
make the time. .\ soldier has his horse permanently disabled by a wound,
probably necessitating his being left in the enemy's hands, receives nothing,
and, unless he can purchase another, is transferred to the infantry.
" I have written very hastily, but think you will see what is really
wanting, ^\■hilst cavalry cannot jilay the important part in large combats,
owing to the improved range of arms, nature of the country, etc., it formerly
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 505
has done in European wars, still the demand for it everywhere is great, and
unless Congress takes the matter in hand, and legislates more liberally on
the subject, the enemy next spring will ride rough-shod over the whole
state."
After the close of the war General Lee settled on his farm, " the
White House." on the Pamunky river, which had been bequeathed to him
by his grandfather, George Washington Parke Custis. The country presented
one continuous scene of utter desolation. For nearly four years the tramp
of armie? had been to and fro over this region, and had, in consequence,
left in their wake only the naked earth. Nothing daunted, he set to work
to build his houses, to re-mark his farm lines with fences, to restock, and, in
short, to begin again the life of a Virginia farmer. Nor was his case in the
least exceptional. All through the South the same hard task confronted
the returned soldiers; and with the greatest heroism did they begin life
anew. General Lee married, in 1S67, Mary Tabb Boiling. They re-
moved in 1S74 to •■• Ravensworth," an estate of the Fitzhughs in Fairfax
county which he inherited under the will of his mother's uncle, William
Henry Fitzhugh. This estate had been patented by the fust Col. William
Fitzhugh, who died in 1701. There General Lee resided until his death,
pursuing the quiet life of a farmer, unless taken away by the duties of
various public positions to which his countrymen elected him. He served
for several years in the Virginia Senate, and was elected to the Fiftieth,
Fifty-first, and Fifty-second Congresses, his death occurring a few months
prior to the expiration of his second term.
In personal appearance William Flenry Fitzhugh Lee was tall, well
proportioned, and of easy, dignified carriage. His courtly bearing and
pleasant manners clearl}- stamped him one of the true gentlemen of the
olden time. He was very fond of the country; of its animal as well as its
vegetable life, even of its sounds. He was also devoted to children, and
they to him. Of him his pastor has written : " Of his home life, it is too
sacred to speak. It was simply beautiful. He lived for liis family. All,
including the servants, were devoted to him. His reading of family prayers
before breakfast was very impressive. Sunday nights, after tea, he liked
to hear the old hymns sung. General Lee was charitable to an extent that
no one knew. Many there are, not only among his neighbors, but in all
parts of Virginia and beyond, who have been the recijiients of his kind-
ness. The mail constantly brought him requests tor help, and generally,
when the object was a worthy one, it was not in vain. How many poor
blacks, not to mention -the whites, who will miss his assistance in their
need !
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" To his friends, and they were a host, he was as true as steel ; and if
he had an enemy I do not believe it was his fault. General Lee had the
best control over himself of any man I ever knew. ' Better is he that ruleth
his spirit than he that taketh a city.' If misunderstood or misrepresented
as a public man ; if worried or annoyed about business, or if things went
wrong, he ever exhibited the same courteous manner and deportment. He
used to say that ' because a man was worried he had no right to be rude. '
One who was an inmate of his family for years says that she ' never heard
from him a cross word.' .\sa true Christian man in every relation of life —
at home, to his neighbors, to his church, to his country — 1 have known no
higher example than General ' Rooney ' Lee."
As previously stated, William H. F. Lee was twice married ; first, in
1859, to Charlotte, daughter of George Wickham, U. S. N. From this
union two children were born, a boy and a girl. Both died in early in-
fancy. Mrs. Lee died 26th December, 1863, while her husband was a
prisoner. Their son was named after his grandfather — Robert Edward
Lee. On hearing of the baby's christening, the grandfather wrote his son :
"... So he is called after his grandpa[)a, the dear little fellow. I would
wish him a better name, and hope he may be a wiser and more useful man
than his namesake. .Such as it is, however, I gladly place it in his keeping,
and feel that he must be very little like his father if it is not elevated and
ennobled by his bearing and course in life. You must teach him, then, to
love his grandpapa, to bear with his failings and avoid his errors, to be to
you as you have been to me, and he may then enjoy the love and confidence
of his father which I feel for you, greater than which no son ever pos-
sessed."
William H. F. Lee was married, secondly, on the 28th of November,
1867, to Mary Tabb, daughter of George W. and Martha S. (Xicholls)
Boiling, of Petersburg, who survives him, with two sons : Robert Edward
and George Boiling Lee. The former is practicing law at Washington,
1). C. ; the latter is studying medicine.
BoLLiNG : Robert Boiling (i 646-1 709) came to Virginia in 1660. He
was twice married; first, in 1675, to Jane, daughter of Thomas Rolfe, or
Rolph, and granddaughter of Pocahontas ; by this marriage he left one
son, John Boiling, and several daughters. One daughter married Richard
Randolph ; another, a Col. Fleming ; a third. Dr. William Gay ; the fourth,
Thomas Eldridge ; the la^t, James Murray. (Siitn s History.) The son
married a Poythress. Robert Boiling married, secondly, in 16S1, Anne,
daughter of John Stith, and had: Robert, John Stith, Edward, Thomas,
and two daughters, \\n\t and .\gnes Boiling. Robert, 2d, married Mary
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Cocke, and had: Robert, 3d, who married Mary Marshall Tabb, and left
another Robert, the 4th of the name, who was four times married. By his last
wife, Anne Dade Srith, he had George W. Boiling, who married Martha S.
NichoUs, of Georgetown ; they were the parents of Mary Tabb Boiling, who
married William H. F. Lee, as stated.
Captain Robert Edward Lee.
77. Robert Edward', the youngest son of Robert Edward Lee*,
(Henry ^ Henry*, Henry \ Richard", Richard^), and Mary Anne Ran-
dolph Custis, his wife, was born at Arlington in Alexandria county, on the
27th of October, 1S43. After a course of tuition at private schools, he
entered the L^niversity of Virginia in October, i860. Though the students
of the university were exempted from army service, all the young men of
suitable age hastened to join the Southern army ; among them, Robert E.
Lee, Jr. In February, 1 86 2, he joined the famous '• Rockbridge Artillery,"
as a private, and served with it until appointed a lieutenant and aide to his
brother, General W. H. F. Lee. He continued with the cavalry staff until
the close of the war, rising to the grade of captain.
Mrs. Lee very naturally desired tliat her son should be with his father.
In reply to a letter on this subject, the General wrote her: '' . . . In refer-
ence to Rob, his company would be a great pleasure to me, and he would
be extremely useful in various ways, but I am opposed to officers surround-
ing themselves with their sons and relatives. It is wrong in principle, and
in that case selection would be made from private and social relations rather
than for the public good. There is the same objection to going with Fitz
Lee. I should prefer Rob's being in the line of an independent position,
where he could rise by his osvn merit and not through the recommendation
of his relatives. I expect him here soon, when I can better see what he
himself thinks. The young men have no fondness for the society of the old
general. He is too heavy and sou"il>re for them." In another letter, the
General adds, '* I hope our son will make a good soldier."
After the close of the war, Captain Lee settled on his farm on the
Pamunky river, in King William county, where he resided until 1S90, when
he removed to Washington, D. C, to engage in business. He has been
twice married. First, on the i6th of November, 1871, to Charlotte Taylor,
daughter of R. P.arton Haxall, and Octavia Robinson, his wife, of Rich-
mond ; she was born on the 23d of October, 184S; died, without issue, on
the 22d of Septemljer, 1S72. He was married, secondly, at Washington,
D. C, on the 8th of March, 1S94, to Juliet, daughter of Colonel Thomas
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5o8 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ?00
Hill Carier. and Susan Roy, his wife, of '• Pampatike," King William
county.
Note. — Governor Thomas Nelson (eldest son of '•' President " William
Nelson, and grandson of Thomas Nelson, the immigrant and progenitor of
the Nelsons of Virginia) married, on the 29th of January, 1762, Lucy,
daughter of Philip Grymes, of Middlesex county, and Mary Randolph, his
wife; their seventh child, Mary Nelson, born on the 19th of December,
1774, married (about 1792) Dr. Robert Carter, of ''Shirley," on James
river. This Dr. Robert Carter was a younger brother of Anne Hill Carter,
the second wife of General Henry Lee, and a son of Charles and Anne
Butler (Moore) Carter; he had issue: Hill Carter, of ''Shirley," who
married ^Lary B. Randolph ; Anne, who married William F. Wickham ;
Lucy, who married Edward Wickham ; Thomas Nelson Carter, who was
twice married ; first, to Juliette Gaines, by whom he had Thomas Hill
Carter, the father of Juliet, who married Captain Lee.
Richard Blan'd Lee.
7S. Richard Blaxd ', the eldest son of Richard Bland Lee^ (Richard
Bland', Henry*. Henry \ Richard', P^i chard ^) and Julia Anna Marion
Prosser, his wife, was born at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, the 9th of August,
1835 ; married, on the i6th of March, 1S65, at New York city, Mary Alice,
daughter of George Amos Butt (formerly of •' Exton Hall," Rutlandshire,
England, and later of New York), and Mary Elizabeth McCoskry, his wife;
she was a daughter of Nathaniel McCoskry and Rachael Willets Allen, of
New York. Mrs. Lee was born the 4th of November, 1S38, at New York,
and died the iSth of December, 1890, at her husband's home, " Euckland
Hall," in Prince William county.
Mr. Lee is now residing at his home in Prince William, v.iih his
younger children. He has si.\ children :
i, RiCHARL> Blaxd', born in Howard county, Md., the 15th of April,
1S67 ; resides now at New York, and is unmarried.
ii, Francis Morris ^ born at Alexandria the 18th of January, 1S69; is
now farming at the old homestead in Prince William. Is unmarried,
iii, Robert McCoskry % born at " Buckland Hall," the 14th of February,
187 1 ; is now farming in Montana; is unmarried.
iv, ^L\RV LlizalethS born at "Buckland Hall." the i::th of August,
1S73; is unmarried.
V, Philip Henry =. bom at " Buckland Hall." the 20th of March, 1S77;
resides at New York. Is also unmarried.
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STRATFORD LIN'E, SEVENTH GENERATION. 509
vi, George Allen*, born at " Bnckland Hall," the Sth of February,
1880.
' * Captain Julian Prosser Lee.
79. Julian 1'rosser ', the second son of Richard lUand I.ee* (Richard
Bland % Henry*, Henry', Richard ^ Richard 'j and Julia Anna Marion
Prosser, his wife, was born the 27th of February, 1S40 ; was married, on the
2ist of June, 1S71, to .Meta Wallace, dauf^hter of Richard Arell Weaver, and
Janet Cleiland llnrner, his wife ; Mr. Weaver was a son of Samuel and
Christiana Weaver; Mrs. Weaver was a daughter of Inman Horner and
Mar} Henderson, his wife; she was the youngest child of Alexander Hen-
derson, of Dumfries, who was born in Scotland in 1737 ; died at Dumfries
about 1S15 ; Mar}- Henderson died at Warrenton the 20th of December,
1S31 ; married Inman Horner on the 31st of December, 1815. Mr.
Horner was the eldest son of William Horner and ^^lary Edmonds, his wife;
he was born the 12th of August, 1791 ; died the 9th of July, i860. Mr.
Lee served in the Confederate army, entering as a private and rising to the
rank of captain. He now resides at Warrenton. They have the following
children : Janet Henderson, Julia Anna Marion, Arel) Weaver. Richard
Eland, and Julian Prosser Lee*.
Richard Henry Lee.
So. Richard Henry', the only son of Zaccheus Collins Lee* (Rich-
ard Bland ^ Henry*, Henry', Richard ^ Richard') and ^^artha Ann Jen-
kins, his wife, was born at Baltimore, Md., the 20th of April, 1839 ; died
the •.:.,th of March. 1SS3; married, in October, 1 868, HBt+le- IsabelU Wil-
son, of Maryland. Mr. Lee served as a private in the Confederate army.
Ho had four cliildren ; three, Elizabeth, Richard Henry, and Zaccheus
Collins, are living; one, Robert Edward, was born in 1S83 and died in
June. 1S90.
Charles Shepherd Lee.
81. Charles Shepherd", the eldest son of Edmund Jennings Lee*
(Edmund Jennings', Henry*, Henry', Richard \ Richard') and Eliza
Shej)herd, his first wife, was born the T7th of September, 1S26; married,
on the 1 6th of May, 1S49, ^L^rgaret IL, daughter of Mann 7L. and Mar-
garet (Beall) Page. They have the following-named children : Eliza Shep-
herd, Margaret Page, Charles Randolph, Edmonia Louise, Ellen Byrd,
Phillips Fitzgerald.', Edwin Gray^Mann Randolph Page, and Eliza Holmes
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Brigadier-General Edwin Gray Lee.
.S2. Edwin Gray'', the second son of Edmund Jennings Lee" (Ed-
mund Jennings^ Henry*, tlcnry'*, Richard", Richard^) and Henrietta
Bedinger, his second wife, was born at " Leeland," Jefferson county, the
25th of May, I035 ; died ai the Yellow Sulphur Springs, Virginia, the 24th
of August, 1870. Mr. Lee was educated, first, at Hallowell's school, at
Alexandria, later at William and Mary College; he then studied law under
the late Judge John W. Brockenborough, at Lexington. On the breaking
out of the late civil war he entered the Confederate service as a second lieu-
tenant in the 3d Virginia infantry; in ^lay, 1S61, he was appointed first
lieutenant and aide to GeiiCral 1 liomas J. Jackson ; then major of the 33d
regiment, next lieutenant-colonel, and, in August, 1S62, colonel of that
regiment. Forced by ill health to give up duty in the field, he resigned
early in 1S63, but was again assigned to active duty in the fall of that year,
and served on the staff of General Robert Ransom, on the south side of
James river, in ^Lay, 1S64; was sent to Staunton in the following June to
comiliand the post there and to call out the reserves in the valley. When
the enemy advanced in force against Staunton, Col. Lee saved all the gov-
ernment property and all the prisoners, losing only his own baggage. In Octo-
ber of 1S64 he was appointed a brigadier-general, and later was sent to
Canada on secret service for the Confederate government, .\fter the war,
his health being very poor, he was compelled to spend his winters in the
far South. On hearing of his death General Robert E. Lee wrote : " I am
truly sorry to hear of Edwin Lee's death. He was a true man, and if his
health had permitted vould have been an ornament, as well as a benefit, to
his race. He was certainly a great credit to the name."
General Edwin Lee married, on the 17th of November, 1S59, Susan,
eldest cliild of the llev. William Nelson Pendleton, D. D., and Anzolette
Elizabeth Page, his wife. Dr. Pendleton was the third son of Edniund
Pendleton, of '' Edmundton," Caroline county, and Lucy Nelson, his wife.
Mrs. Pendleton was the daughter of Erancis Page (son of Gov. John Page) and
Susan, daughter of Gov. Thomas Nelson, of Yorktown. The Lucy Nelson
who married Edmund Pendleton v. as a daughter of Col. Hugh Nelson, of
Yorktown, a younger brother of Gov. Thomas Nelson ; hence Doctor and
Mrs. Pendleton were second cousins. Being both endowed with rare mental
abilities, enriclied by thorough culti\ation, they were the most charming
of companions, which could only be fully appreciated by those who had
an opportunity of seeing t-hem in their dailv life. Dr. Pendleton was gradu-
ated from the Military School at ^Vest Point in 1830, served on garrison
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STRATFORD LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 51I
duty, and as assistant professor of mathematics until he resigned, in 1837,
to assume the more congenial duties of a teacher of mathematics, which
was ever a favorite study with him. While engaged in this work his atten-
tion was called to the ministry, and later he was ordained priest in the
Episcopal Church. At the breaking out of the civil war he felt it his duty
to use for the benefit of his State the military training which that State had
aided in giving him ; consequently he entered the artillery service, and be-
came famous as the commander of the artillery corps of the Army of North-
ern Virginia. A most interesting Memoir of him was published in
1893, written by his daughter, Mrs. Sue P. Lee, who has now in press a
school history nf the United States.
Edmund Jennings Lee.
83. Edmund Jennin^.s ', the third son of Edmund Jennings Lee*
(Edmund Jennings \ Henry \, ?Ienry ', Richard', Richard') and Henri-
etta Bedingcr, his second wife, was born at " Leeland," Jefferson county,
the Sth of October, 1845 ; has been twice married ; first, on the 23d of Sep-
tember, 1S75, to Rebecca Lawrence, only daughter of Colonel Armistead
Thompson Mason, and Eliza Southgate (Lawrence) Rust, of ''Rockland,"
Loudoun county. Mrs. Lee died at "Leeland," the 14th oi February,
1882, leaving three sons: Lawrence Rust, Edmund Jennings, and Armis-
tead Mason Lee \ Mr. Lee was married, secondly, at Trinity Church,
Shepherdstown, on the 26th of September, 1S93, to Bessie Read, only
daughter of the Rev. William H. Xeilson, D. D., rector of the parish.
Mr. Lee served in the cavalry of the Southern army during the last
two years of the war. Since then he has resided near Shepherdstown, being
chiefly engaged in farming. He has always been an earnest, active mem-
ber of the Episcopal Church ; is now junior warden of Trinity Parish ; has
been a frequent delegate to the Diocesan and General Conventions of the
church; is a trustee of the Virginia Theological Seminary, and a member
of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of West Virginia.
Rev. Henry Bedinger Lee.
84. Henry Bedinger', the fourth son and youngest child of Edmund
Jennings Lee* (Edmund Jennings ^ Henry*, Henry', Richard -, Richard ')
and Henrietta Bedinger. his second wife, was born at " Leeland," Jeffer-
son county, the 14th of July, 1S49; studied law, and wa-s admitted to the
bar the 14th of July, 1879 ; entered the Theological Seminary of Virginia,
September, 1872; ordained Deacon in June, 1875; and Priest, in June,
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512 LEE OF VIRGINIA. • .. i , , f
1876; has had charge of St. Paul's Church, Goochland; was assistant at
St. James', Richmond; in 1S77, took charge of Leeds Parish, Fauquier;
April, 18S6, was called to Ridley Parish, Culpeper ; in 1S90, became
assistant to the Rev. Dr. Hanckel, at Christ Church, Charlottesville; and
after the dcat!'. of Dr. Hanckel, rector of the parish, in September, 1S92,
and continues in that charge.
Mr. Lee was married, on the 20th of September, 1S77, to Lucy John-
ston, daughter of James Keith and Fanny L. (Ambler) Marshall, of Fau-
quier county, and has had the following-named children :
i, Fanny Ameler', born the 31st of August, 1878; died the 21st of
August, 1S79.
ii, Henry Bedinger *~, born the 22d of January, iSSo.
iii, Claude ALa.rshall\ born the 17th of June, 18S2.
iv, Rebecca Rust', born the 31st of July, 18S4.
V, Edv.in CRAY^ born the 7th of November, 1890.
vi, James Keith Marshall*, born the 2Sth of May, 1894.
THE TvLARSHALL FAMILY.
The common tradition as to the origin of the Marshalls has given
them an ancestor v.ho came to England with William the Conqueror.
After his success at Hastings the King gave lands to this William Mareschal
on the border of Wales, later in the county of Pembrokeshire. Of this
family was William Mar-hall, the Earl of Pembroke, one of the Barons who
forced the ^L^gna Charta from King John. The King, apparently, bore
him no ill-will, for he named him as guardian to his son and Protector of
the Kingdom. xA more modern progenitor was an Irish captain, one John
Marshall, who fought with King Charles at Edgehill, and after his defeat
came over to Virginia. Captain John Marshall came to \'irginia about
1650, settled near Dumfries, wliere he died ; " his tombstone stiil stood there
a few years before the war." (Thomas M. Green.) ^e left a son, William, a
small Virginia farmer, who died in Westmoreland comity in 1 704.^ A younger
son 'of this William Marshall was named John, known as " John of the
Forest." He lived in Westmoreland ; was a captain in the early Indian
wars of the Colony. He was born about 1700; died in April, 1752, and
married Elizal.eth. daughter of T&W Markham ; he left a large family.
Tw(j daughters, .Vnne and Elizabeth, married two brothers, respectively
John and Augustine Smith, of that county. It is said they were the
sons of John Suuth i)>- Mary.Aiin .Adkins, his wife. He is supposed to
have been a native oi' Bristol, England, who came to Virginia about 1700
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STRATFORD I.INE, SF.\ KNTH GENERATION.
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and settled on ?\iatU)a>; creek, in Westmoreland; he died therein 1725.
Augustine and J]l''/alj'jth (Mar.sluU') Su-iitli reared three daughters and one
son. Perhaps these daughters were the Smiths who married the two John
Lees, of Essex. (See 14 and ?j.) The eldest son of John and Elizabeth
(NLukhain) Marshal! v.ns the fauKyis Col. Thomas Marshall. He was born
in Westmoreland on the 2d of April, 1730; died on the 22d of June, 1S02,
at Washington, Mason county, Kentucky; he married, in 1755, ^^^^^y Ran-
dolph, daughter of the Rev. James and Mary Isham (Randolph) Keith.
Mary Isham Randolph was the daughter of Thomas Randolph, of " Tucka-
hoe,"' the second son of William Randolph, of "Turkey Island." Mary
Randolph Keith was born in Fauquier county on the 2Sth of April, 1737 ;
died in Kentucky on the 19th of September, 1S09. •* Col. Thomas Mar-
shall is regarded by b.is posterity with veneration. In sound judgment and
depth of native mind, he is said to have surpassed all his illustrious chil-
dren." He is said to have attended, with George Washington, the school
of the Rev. Archibald Campbell, rector of Washington parish, Westmore-
land. They were throughout life intimate friends. Col. Marshall accom-
panied Wash.ington on his surve}ing expeditions for Lord Fairfax and
others. He removed to Fauquier county and settled at "Oakhill," where
his younger children v.ere born. He was with Braddock in his ill-fated ex-
pedition, though not in-e.-.ent at the fight in which that ofticer was slain.
He served during the Revolutionary war ; was presented with a sword by
the Virginia House of Burgesses. This sword is still preserved. He was
himself a member of the House of Burgesses; of the Virginia Convention
of 1776; he was taken prisoner by the British at Charleston, S. C. ; after
his release he rode through part of Kentucky with a party of friends ; he was so
well pleased with tlie country thai he located a homestead there. This
place was called " Huckjiond," near Versailles. It was his home until the
maniage of his so'n, Dr. f^ouis Marshall, with Agatha Smith, in iSoo, when
the home at " Buckiiond " was given to the young couple, and the old
folks went to live v/uSi iheir sun, Tbioii.as, at Wabhiiigton, Mason county,
where he died. 'I'hey had fifteen children. Of these Dr. Louis has been
mentioned in another connection (see 35, v, j). 342). The most famous of
his children, and perhaps of the family, was Chief Justice John ^Marshall,
the soldier, la\sycr, and statesman. He was born in Fau([uier county on
the 24th of Septeniber, 1755; died at l'hiladel[)hia on the 6th of July,
1835; married at ^\>rktown, on the 3d of January, 17S3, Mary Willis,
daughter of Jacqueline Ambler and Rebecca L. Burwell, his wife. Jac([ue-
line Aml)ler (born on the oth of August, 1742 ; died on the loth of Fel)ru-
ary, i79S)was the seventh child of Richard and T^li/abeth (Jacqueline)
33
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LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Ambler, who came to \'irginia in 1716. Mary Willis Ambler was born on
the iSth of March, 1706; died on the 25th of December, 1831. Judge
Marshall served in the Continental Army as captain ; in 1779 he left the
army to study at William and Mary College, and began his famous career as
a lawyer in 17S0 ; he was frequently a member of the Virginia Legislature;
also of the Virginia Convention that ratified the Constitution ; was ap-
pointed by John Adams Minister to France; entered Congress, it is said
at the request of Washington, in 1799; in iSoo was Secretary of State,
and in iSoi was appointed Chief Justice, and so continued until his death.
Of the great abilities of Judge Marshall, as an expounder of the laws, it is
not necessary to speak. His great fame, as well as his sterling character,
are a part of the common history of the land.
Judge Marshall left issue: Thomas, r3r. Jacqueline, Mary, John, James
Keith, and Edward Carrington Marshall. Of these James Keith, born on
the 13th of February, iSoo, died on the 2d of December, 1S62 ; married,
on the 22d of December, 1S21, Claudia Hamilton, daughter of Nathaniel
Burwell and Ann R. Willis, his wife, and left twelve children. His third
son, James Keith Marshall, married Frances L. Ambler, and had : Lucy
Johnston (who married the Rev. Henry B. Lee, as stated), James Keith,
and Charles Edward Marshall. Of the other many illustrious members of
this family it is not necessary to give an account in this work.
LlErTENAXT-CoLON'EL ^VII,LIA^I FlTZHUGII LeE.
85. William Fit/hugh \ the only son of Rev. William Fitzhugh Lee*
(Edmund Jennings \ Henry*, Henry •\ Richard ^ Richard') and Mary
Catharine Simms Cliilton, his v.ife, was born at Richmond the 27th of
April, 1832; died the 29th of July, 1861. His primary education was
received at Shepherdstown ; then he entered the Virginia Military Institute
at Lexington, and graduated on the 4th of July, 1S53, delivering the
Valedictory to his clas^ ; taught school until June, 1855; was appointed
second lieutenant in 2d U. S. Lifantry, 30th of TvLarch, 1S57 ; in 1861, he
was arrested by his superior officer for expressing strong disapproval of th.e
action of the government against tlie South ; was court-martialed; after his
release he resigned (30th of April, 1S61), and was appointed a captain in
the Virginia forces ; served for several months as drill-master, and was com-
missioned lieutenant-colonel of the 33d Virginia regiment, and attached to
the army of the Shenandoah. At the first battle of Manassas, 21st of July,
1861, he led his regiment against Rickett's battery, and captured it, but it
was retaken ; on the second charge against that battery, he was struck by
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STRATfORD LINE, SEVKNTH GENERATION. 515
a piece of a shell, fell mnrtallv wounded, and died in a fe\v days. He was
buried at Shepherdstowr. or; the 3i5t of July.
William F. T.ee was married, on the 15th of September, 1859, to Lillie,
daughter of Dr. Richard and laura E. (.Morcjan) Parran, of Shepherds-
town. Dr. Parran was born in Calvert county, Md. ; he married Laura E.
Morgan on the 29th of November, 1S32. William V. Eee left one child,
a daughter. Laura Morgan, who was married, on the 14th of April, 1880,
to Lieutenant William A. Simpson, of the 2d artillerv, U. S. A. ; they have
four children: Caroline ILanson, William Fitzhugh Lee, George Wirt,
and Elizabeth Parran Simpson.
Cassius Francis Lee.
86. Cassius Francis ', the second son of Cassius Francis Lee " (Edmund
Jennings', Flenry*, Henry', Richard", Richard') and Hannah P. L. Hop-
kins, his first wife, was born at Ale.sonJria, the 4th of January, 1844, and
died at same place, the 4th of September, 1S92 ; was married, on the 29th of
Mav, 1S73, to Mary, daughter of Richard PIcnry and Mary (Fife) I,loyd,
of Alexandria. She was born the 12th of July, 1845, in the town of A^er-
mont, Fulton county, Illinois; Mr.>. Lee, with two daughters, Lucy Lyons
and PJizabcth Lloyd T.ee\ survives her husband.
Cassias F. Lee. jr., as he hasalways been known, to distinguish him from
his father, took the greatest interest in all that pertained to the history of his
family, and had been for years collecting wills, deeds, letters, and all man-
ner of genealogical data. Plad his life been spared, he would have
arranged all these papers for publication, and would have edited a most
adm liable work.
Cazenove CiAKHNEr Lee.
87. Cazenove Gardner ^ the third son of Cassius Francis Lee*
(Edmund Jennings'-, Henry*, Henry', Richard', Richard ') and Anne
Eliza Gardner, his second wife, was born at Alexandria, the 30th of May,
1850; was married, on the 20th of September, 1S81, to Marguerite L., the
youngest daughter of i:ieuthere Ireiiee Dupont, of Wilmington, Dela-
ware, and Charlotte Shepard Henderson, his wife; they have two sons:
Cazenove Gardner, born the 6th of October, 1882, and rvLiurice Dupont,
born the loth of January, 1SS5.
Mr. Lee attended private schools at Alexandria, then the Episcopal
High School, and L'lslly the University of Virginia. He is a lawyer by
profes.>ion, residing at Washington City.
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DupoxT — Eleuthere Irenee Dupont (182 9-1 8 7 7) was the eldest son of
Eleuthere Irenee (1771-1S34), the original founder of the great powder-
making firm; the latter was the second son of Pierre Samuel Dupont de Xe-
mours(i739-iSi7), who was born at Paris and died at Wilmington, Delaware.
Besides being a political economist of note, Mr. Dupont held many offi-
cial positions of importance in his own country, and, at one time, in Poland
under Stanislas Poniatowski. It is especially interesting to note that he
was employed by Vergennes to assist in drawing up the treaty with England,
by which the independence of the .American colonies \vas acknowledged.
During the French Revolution, Mr. Dupont advocated reform and a con-
stitutional monarchy as against the views of the extreme republicans. He
was imprisoried and only escaped the guillotine by the death of Robespierre.
Later still, his house was sacked by a mob and he himself narrowly escaped
transportation. In 1799, he emigrated with his family to America, where
later, his son established the great powder manufactory. He returned to
France in 1802, but refused to accept any official position under Napoleon.
At the request of Jefferson he published, in iSi 2, a small treatise on Naiional
EdKcation in America. After the first downfall of Nai)oleon,Mr. Dupont
became secretary to the Provisional Government, and on the restoration of
the Bourbons, he was made Councillor of State. On the return of Napoleon
in 1S15, he determined to leave France to spend the remainder of his days
with his sons in America. His eldest son, Victor Marie (1767-1S27), was
the father of the late Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont (1S03-1S65).
Rev. P'rancis Dupont Lee.
88. Francis Dupont', the fourth son of Cassius Francis Lee^
(Edmund Jennings \. Henry *, Henry', Richard ^ Richard') and Anne
Eliza Gardner, his second wife, v.as born at Ale.xandria, the 3d of January,
1852 ; died at his home in Fairfox county the 14th of June, 1891 ; was
married, on the 2Sth of April, 1880, to his cousin, Anne Henderson,
daughter of H. .-Mien and Anne E. Van Ness (Henderson) Taylor, of Alex-
andria. Mr. Lee was educated at the Episcopal High School, the Llni-
versity of Virginia, and the Theological Seminary of Virginia. Had sev-
eral parishes under his charge, but during the last years of his life had been
incapacitated for his work by ill health. His widow and one child, Con-
stance C. Lee^ survive him. Two other children, both sons, are dead.
Dr. Edmund Jennings Lee.
89. Edmund Jennings ', the fifth son of Cassius Francis Lee* (Edmund
Jennings*, Henry*, Henry', Richard % Richard ') and Anne Eliza Gardner,
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STRATKORU MNE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 51?
his second wife, was born at Alexandria, the i6th of June, 1853 ; was edu-
cated at the Episcopal High School, and at the Washington and Lee Uni-
versity ; later, he studied medicine at the Universities of Virginia and
of Pennsylvania. He was married, on the 9th of December, 1879, to ^lary
Emma, the eldest dauL,hier of Charles Smith and Catharine lungerich, his
wife, of Philadelphia. They have four children: Constance Gardner,
Charles Smith, Mildred Washington, Florence Friesen Fee*.
Rev. William Bvrd Lee.
90. William Bvrd ', the eldest son of Richard Henry Lee ^ (Edmund
Jennings S Henry*, Henry \ Richard", Richard') and Evelyn Byrd Page,
his wife, was born the 21st of March, 1851 ; married, on the 25th of Sep-
tember, 1S78, Sarah Jane Blackburn, daughter of Dr. Randolph and Eliza-
beth Sinclair (Blackburn) Kownslar, of Berryville, Clark county ; she was
born the nth of June, 1S53. Mr. Lee studied theology at the Theological
Seminary of Virginia, was ordained Deacon in June, 1S78; Priest, in
1879 ; has been in charge of the old .Vbingdon Parish, Gloucester county.
They have the following children :
i, Elizareth Sinclair', born the 26th of July, 1879.
ii, Richard Henrv', born the 20th of September, iSSo, and died the
26th of September, iSSi.
iii, Evelvn Bvrd^ born the 23d of September, iSSi.
iv, ^LJlRV PageS born the 23d of September, 18S1.
V, Ellen Moore ^ born the nth of June, 1SS4.
vi, William Bvkd*, born the ist of February, 1SS8.
vii, Jane Kown.nLar"-
viii, Eli2'a .\tkinson'.
Rev. Charles Henry Lee.
91. Charles FTenrv ', the second son of Richard Henry Lee ^ (Ed-
mund Jennings\ Henry \ Henry', Richard'-', Richard') and Evelyn Byrd
Pa^e his wife, was born the 20th of December, 1866; graduated at the
Theological Seminary of Virginia, and was ordained Deacon, 29th ot
June, 1S93; Priest, the 30th of June, 1S94. Mr. Lee married, on the 30th
of September, 1893. Susan Randolph, daughter of John Esten and Mary
Frances (Page) Cooke, of Clarke county. Mr. Lee has charge of Mark-
ham Parish, Culpeper county.
xH
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ilS LEE OF VIRGINIA.
DITCHLEY LINE, SECOND GENERATION.
1. CoLONFL Richard Eef-, the Virginia immigrant, left six sons and
two daughters, whom he named in the following order in his wm,, which is
the only reliable record of them extant : John, Richard, Francis,^Hancock,
Betsy, Anne, and Charles. Of these children, Hancock was the second
son to leave male issue in Virginia; he has always been considered the
fifth son, but the inscription on his tombstone states that he was the sev-
enth. In naming his five younger children. Colonel Richard placed the
two daughters between Hancock and Charles, so it may be fairly taken for
f^ranted that they were younger than Hancock and older than Charles. If
this surmise be correct, then Hancock was the fifth son. The explanation
of the apparent contradiction between the Immigrant's will and the in-
scription on the tombstone of his son may be that the former had lost two
children previous to the making of his will ; or, it may be that the
daughters were older than Hancock, in which case he would have been the
seventh child though not the seventh son.
The following sketches of Hancock Lee and his descendants are very
meagre, incomplete, and unsatisfactory, but they are the best that can be
done at present with the scanty data now obtainable.
Captain Hancock. Lee.
2. Hancock.', the " seventh son " of Richard and Anna Lee, was born
in 1653, probably at the Dividing Creeks in Northumberland county. He
died the 25th of May, 1709, and was buried at " Ditchley," where his
tombstone is still to be seen, with its inscription perfectly legible. This
burying ground was used by this branch of the family for several genera-
tions, probably until the estate was sold in 17S9, to Col. Jam.es Ball, Jr.,
whose descendants own it to-day.
The inscription un Hancock's tombstone, copied the lolh of May,
1894, reads as follows:
Here Lyeth the B.j<!y of Hancock Lee, Seventh son of the Honnourable Richard Lee,
Who dcpartf.l this Life the lyJ.i May, .Anno Domo 1729, .I'.ta. 56 years. Al.,o .Mary, his
fir.-^l Wife, only Daughter of William Kcn.l.ill, ( ient, Who departea thi.s Life the 24th De-
cember, Anno Donio 1694, A'.U. 3.^ years. .Vml Sarah, his last wife, Daughter of Isaac
AUerton E^jr. Who departed thi:, LiTe tlie I7lh .May, Anno Domo. 1731, -Eta. 60 years.
.Although this inscription states that he died in 1729, there can be no
dotibt that Hancock Lee died in 1709, for these reasons: The certificate
of probate on his will reads : " Die July 20 : 1 709. This will was proved
'!■ i. ■■):(' h,'!. ', ?■■
\' ^fi ni '.'Vj.vl o! noi^
?A^:\' T-b <•'.' J
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r
-^
^■s^ould ce ,r!«.a to' give ihu piece ol'
^ffiaTion to aonie of your Inquirers. !
S>i-^ Rl'.-bard Le^ the em'-srant. born!
J, naa a son, Henccck Les (n;, ot! Dl^h-
ywrn In -Vorchumberland county. Vlr-t
f: married .\ra:-y KendaU, first wlia.'
cter or Co., WilHara Kendall. Their!
^iChard Leg ,3), b-jrn IGOl, married;'
Ji bT-n^Toa. Tbey had a sou. Kendal]:!
/■xi. c'.ed l-SO; married Bertv Haie.^
F son, Kendall Lee (5), bora ITfiS t
p-id ^s-cocd wlfei Judirh. Barrotfi
Be. The!r son, William L.-e it3), mar-l
ifir.st F!!ia Wannack ; second, IlaiuahJ
^<r-rs.. ar.-:! h.id xvro sons — ,Iarii.\s Hrn- '
■ t Ls'^ and 'U'mi.'vm Thomas I.o- The'
f ir.t-rrled Susan ]?!.inToTi. i
Y* ■^2" .?"^''" ''"•^^' ^"^^^ °^' ^-^^ Murrelli'
Jy of Vir;;inia? George ifurrell aicir-;
,^si:y Blair, daughter of Alexander i
il. 1
DITCHLKV LINE, SKCOND i;KNERA TION. 519
in Northumberland County Court to be tlie last Will and Testament of
Mr. Hancock Lee, dec'd by y= oaths of Thomas Knight and Mary Knight,
two of yMvitnesses thereto and is admitted to Record. (Signed) Tho :
Hobson C. Cur. North'd."
The Clerk's office of Xo.thnmberland was burned tlie 25th of October,
1710; later all the records that could be found were recorded a second
time to replace those so destroyed.^ So, on Hancock's will there is this
second note of record : - Die Marti i 21, 1711, This Coppie of Mr. Han-
cock Lee's Will and the Codicils thereto annexed were approved by y' Court
and upon motion of Cai)t. John Howson are admitted to Record. (Signed)
Tho: Hobson C. Cur. Xorth'd."
Again, an inventory of Hancock's property was filed the 21st of
March, 17 10, and moreover in an application for a land p'atent, made the
6th of March, 1709-10, it was stated that the patent was for "Hancock
Lee son of Hancock Lee dec'd." These records clearly prove that Han-
cock was deceased in 1709. If the inscription upon his tomb^tone be cor-
rect, that he died in 1729, a-fJ j6 yrars, then he was born in 1673, or
about nine years after the death of his father. Whilst, if the record of his
first marriage, in 1675, be correct, then he married at the early age of
two or three years. A true reductio ad absurdiim.
Hancock Lee was twice married; first, in 1675, to Mary, the only
daughter of Col. William Kendall, of '^Newport House," Northampton
county. William Kendall was a Burgess from Northampton in 1657-62-63-
66, being Speaker the last year. He married, secondly, Sarah, the daughter
of Col. Isaac Allerton, of Westmoreland, the son of the Isaac Allerton who
came over in the " Mayflower," and who married Fear, the daughter of
Elder William Brewster, another of that famous band. (Hayden, Va.
Genealogies, 97.)
Hancock is supposed to have settled in Northampton at the time of his
first marriage (1675). and to have returned to Northumberland about 16S6.
The record of the public positions held by him, perhaps only partial, seems
to agree with this supposition. He was a Justice for Northam{)ton county
in 1677, and held a similar position in Northumberland in 16S7, 1699;
was also a Burgess iVour Nortliumberland in 16S8. A list of civil officers,
dated the 3d of June, 1699, names him as the "Naval Officer and Collector
of Virginia Dutys in Northumberland County;" another list of the date of
»The oldest records of Xorthumberland county are in a book which has this record written in it : "This
BooV Contains the Records of those papers which have been presented into the County Court of Northum-
berland County, and by the Justices of the s.iid Court admitted to record a^ain, they having been formerly
recorded, and th.- /-^H^ks of rfcjr.i tn which ihty had b^/n recorded burned -Mith this ,#V«- the 25lh day ol
October Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and ten. Teste. Tho : Hobson C. Cur."
v»?
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11 M.M .JOi^'l
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520 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
1702, mentions him as a Justice, sliowing him to have been in commission
at the time of his death. The following is a copy of his commission as a
Justice, in 1699 •
Wii.i.iAM The Third, by tlie Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and
Ireland, Defon^ler of tlm f.iith, etc., To Sainuell Griftin, Ilancuck Lee, Charles Lee, George
Cowper, Rodham Kennor, William Jones, Peter Hack, John Harris, William Howson,
Cutlibert Span, Chriitoplier Neale, John Crawley, Peter Contancean & Thomas Winder,
Gentlemen, Greeting : Kndw Vf.e, that Wee have assigned you, and every one of you jointly
and severally, Our Justices to Keep Our Peace in the County of Nothumberland, and to
keep and cause to be kept all ordinances, statutes of our Kingdome of England and Lawes of
this Our Ancient and Cireat Colony and Dominion of Virginia, made for the good of the
Peace and for the conservation of tlie same, and for the Quiett rule and Government of the
People, in all and every the Articles thereof in said county accordinge to the force, f jrme
and effect of the same. And to chastise and punish all persons offending against the fomies
of those ordinances, Statutes of Our Kingdome of England & Lawes of this our Colony and
Dominion, or any of them in the County aforesaid, to cause to come before you or any of
you all those persons who shall threaten any of Our Liege People, either in their bodyes or
burning their houses, to find sufTicient security for the Peace or for the good behavior towards
Us and the People. And if tbey shall refuse to find such security then to cause them to be
kept safe in Prison until they iind such security. Wee have also assigned you, or any four
or more of you whereof any of you, Sarauell Griftln, Hancock Lee, Charles Lee, George
Cowper, Rodham Kennor and William Tones shall be one to meet at the usuall place of hold-
ing Courts in the County aforesd at certain dayes according to Law, to heare & Determine all
Suits, Controversies and Debates between party and party, doeing therein what to Tnstice
appertaineth according to the Lawes of our Kingdome of England and this our Ancient and
great Colony and Dominion of Virginia, with power likewise to you and every of you to take
Depositions and Examinations upon oath for the belter manifestation of the truth in all such
matters & causes as come before you, and to keep or cause to be kept all orders of Court,
Orders of Councill and Proclamations Directed to you or comeing to your hands from Us, or
from Our Governour or Commander in chief for the time being, and Our Councill of State.
And to punish the offenders & breakers of the same according to the Lawes of Our King-
dome of England and of this Our Colony & Dominion. And further to keep, or cause the
Gierke of your Court to keep, Recordb of all Judgments, Rules Ov: Orders Decided and agreed
upon by you, or any four or more of you, whereof you Samuell Griffin, Hancock Lee, Charles
Lee, George Cowper, Rodham Kennor, and William Jones shall be one. And Further
Wee Comanil you and every one of you that you diligently intend the keeping of the Peace,
Statutes of Our Kingdom of England, and the Lawes of this Our Colony & Dominion. And
all and singular other the Premises Wee doe by Virtue of these presents comand the Sheriff
of the said County of XorthumLerland, that at those certain dayes and places which the law
doth appoint, that he cause to come before you, or any four or more of you, whereof any of
you, Samuell Griffin, Hancock Lee, Ch.Trles Lee, George Cowper, Rodham Kennor, and
William Jones shall be one, \ soe many good and Lawful! men of his liayliwic bv whom
the matters maybe the better known and Enquired of. Witnf^se Our Trusty and welbelovcd
Francis Nicholson, Esq'r, Our Lieutenant and Governor Gen" of This our Colony and
Dominion of Virginia, at James Town, under the Scale of Our Colony, the Sth day of June,
in the eleventh yeare of Our F\eign, Anno ij'^ Domini 1699.1
* K<J. Magazine of History, etc., 1,226.
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DITCHLEV LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 52 1
The Northern Xeck land records show that Hancock patented land as
follows: 1,100 acres in Richmond county, the i8th April, 1704; 570 acres
on both sides of Rappahannock Horsepen Run and adjoining his own land,
2ist May, 1705; 1,353 acres in l^ichmond county, 6th June, 1704; 460
acres on north side of the Occoquan in Stafford county, 2d November,
j^Q^ . j^y-c. acres at the heads of the branches of Chapowamsic in Stafford,
adjoining the land of Capt. Thomas Harrison, loth February, 1707. Han-
cock Lee, son of Hancock Lee, deceased, patented 1,025 acres on Wolf Run
in Stafford, for which Hancock Lee the elder had obtained a warrant, 1708,
and by a codicil to his will, 31st December, 1706, gave to his son the said
Hancock, 6lh ALarch, 1709-10. In 1678, Hancock Lee, gent., obtained a
patent for 268 acres in Accomac county.
The land formerly included in the Ditchley estate was patented the 21st
of May, 1 65 1, as shown by this patent :
To all c^c. Whereas &c now Know yee tliat I the s.^id Sr William Berkeley Knight &c
Do with the Consent of the Council of .state accordingly give and grant unto Collo Richard
Lee Esq. Secretary of State for this Colony Eight hundred acres of Land Scituate in
Northumberland County and upfon the Soutli side of a Cteeke Comonly called the Divid-
ing Creek . . . abutting North East and Northerly uppon the said Creeke Southeast and
Southerly Upon a creek which issueth forth of the said Dividing Creek Which divideth
his Land and the Land of Mr. Thomas Wilson Maniner, Southwest into the maine Woods
West and Northwest upon a small creek which divideth this Land and the Land of Colo Rich-
ard Lee. The said Land being due unto the said Colo l^jchard Lee by and for the Trans-
portation of Sixtren persons, all whose names are in the Records mentioned under this
Fattent &c To have and to hold Mc To be held of Our Sovereign Lord the King his
Heirs and Successors forever as of his mannor of East Greenwich in free and Comon Soc-
cage and not in Capite nor by Knights Service Yielding and paying unto our Sovereign
Lord the Kii.g his Heirs and Successors &c Which payment &c. provided &c. Given att
James Citty under my hand and the Seal of this Colony the 21st day of May, 1651.
Following this patent on the records of Northumberland are these two
deeds :
Know all men by these pr^ents th.U 1 Richard Lee of Lower Machotique in the Parish
of Cople and County of Westmoreland upon the perusall of my good ffathor Coll" ■ Richard
Lee dec'd his Will fmding the Lmds he left my Bro^^'" Hancock and Charles Lee are in
Law but an Estate for Life out of the naturall affection I beare to them and their heirs doe
by these p^sents as heir to my good fiather dec'd doe give the Land contained in this Pat-
tent on the other side from me and my heirs to them and their heirs as followeth (vizt) 600
acres of the said Land to my P.ro""- Hancock and his heirs and the other 200 acres to my
Co/en [nephew] Cliarles Lee and his heirs acccording to the agreement made between my
two Bro"'" Hancock and Charle- and Recorded in Northumberland County Court Records,
always provi-led that according to the Will made by my Bro"'^ Charles my Cozen Leeanna
Jones Enjoy and u^e and occupy, the sd. 200 .acres called Hickory Neck during her Life
and after her deceise to revert to the said Charles Lee and his heirs according to the dispo-
Itg
.iii. ! { li II
n.' , /I . I;
..OS Mil ;:••..!; •!
522
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
sition of his dec'd ffather in his last Will and Testament. In witness, &c. Dated gth Sep-
tember, 1 70 1.
This Indentlre made the seventeenth day of Febburarie in the sixth year of y« Reign
of our Sovereign Lady Annk by -f Grace of God of England Scotland (Trance and Ireland
Queen Defender of the Faith &c. and in y" year of our Lord God one thousand seven hun-
dred and seven, Betwef.N Richard Lee of the County of Westmoreland Esquire of the one
part and Hancock Lee of the County of Northumberland Gent : of the other part WIT-
NESSETH That the said Richard Lee upon perusall of his good ffather CoU*^ Richard Lee
deceased his will and finding that y« Lands he left to his Brothers y"^ s^ ■■ Hancock Lee and
Charles Lee are in Law but an Estate for Life and out of the naturall affection he beareth
to them and their heirs and for Divers other good Causes and Consideracons him there-
unto moving but more Especially for and in Consideracon of the same of tive pounds of good
and Lawful money of England to him in hand paid by y« s'^ • Hancock Lee at and before
ye Ensealing and Delivery of these presents, the Receipt whereof and himself therewith
fully satisfyed Contented and paid he doth by these presents acknowledge Have Given
Granted sold remised Released aliened transfered Enfteeoffed and Confirmed and by these
presents as heir to his said ffather Deceased for himself his heirs and assignes Doth Give
Grant sell remise Release alien Transferr Enfeeoft" and Confirm unto ye s'^- Hancock Lee
and to his heirs for ever He being already in full and peaceable possession of y* premises
hereafter raenconed by virtue of a lease thereof made by y^ s'^ '■ Richard Lee unto y^ s^ ■
Hancock Lee bearing date the day before y^ date of these presents All the Right, Title,
Interest, possession Claim and Demand of him y" s"^ ■ Richard Lee of in or to that Seat
Tract plantacon or parcell of Land (whereon y« s''= Hancock Lee now liveth) Containing
Eight hundred acres be y*" same more or less according to an agreement made between
his s' • two Brothers y" s' ■ Hancock and Charles and Recorded in Northumberland County
Court Records viz: Six hundred acres of y« s'' ^ land being the premises by these presents
meant menconed and Intended to be given Granted sold made over and Confirmed unto
yes"!: Hancock Lee his heirs and assignes for Ever. The Remaining two hundred acres
of y« sd: Land to Remain and to be to Charles Lee youngest son of the aforesaid Charles
Lee and to y*^ heirs male of his Body Lawfully Begotten and for want of such heirs to Thomas
Lee Eldest son of y« s'' ■ Charles Lee and to y^' heirs male of his Body Lawfully begotten and
for want of such heirs then to Revert descend and come to y* next heirs at Law to
y> s^- Richard Lee for ever always provided and it is y^ true intent and meaning of these
presents that Leeanna Joues I>augluer of the s'' '■ Charles Leo occupy possess and enjoy
ye before menconed two hundred acres of Land ( Comonly known by ye name of Hickory
Neck) w'h : ye appurtenances During her naturall life. The s' • I^nd Scituate Lying and
being upon y* .-jouth side of a Creek comonly called y« Dividing Creek in Lee Parish
in y* County of Northumberland afores''^ and boundeth as followeth — to wit — Abut-
ting North East and Northerly uppon the s'' ■ Dividing Creek South East and South-
erly upon a Creek Issucing forth of y s'' '■ Dividing Creek which Divideth this Land
and ye Land of Mr. Thomas Wilson marriner Soutli West into ye maine woods
West and North west upon a small Creek w-" divideth this Land and Coll"- Rich.
Lee's I^nd With all messuages Tenements Houses (Jut-houses Gardens orchards fiehls
wooils underwoods meadows pastures feedings swamps mar.ihes ways waters water-courses
Together with ye Royalties of Hunting Hawking fishing and fowling and of all mines min-
eralls 3.nd Quarries and all other privileges advantages prohtts Comodities and appurtenances
whatsoever to y* s' ■ Granted premises belonging or in any wise appertaining Except as
before Excepted together also w"> all yearly !\ents and profitts Reserved in any Lease or
,< .'e hiitiX
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DITCHLEV LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 523
Demise of any part of y« premises aforemenconed To Have AND TO Hold y« s*!: Plant-
acnn or Tract of Land messuage Tenements and all other y" premises herein before Granted
Bargained and sold and every part thereof wilh all Rights members and appmtenances there-
unto belonging according to y« s'^^ agreement aforemenconed that is to say the s'l six hun-
dred acres of I. ami (being y* premises hereby meant and intended to be bargained and sold)
untoy>-s'': Hancock Lee and to his heirs and assignes for ever to y^ only proper use and
behoof of him y« s'l ^ I lancock Lee and to his heirs and assigns for Ever The Remaining two
hundred Acres called Hickory Neck to be to y« s'^- Charles Lee and to y<^ heirs male of his
Body Lawfully begotten and for want of such heirs to y« s^ ■ Thomas Lee and to ye heirs
male of his body lawfully begotten and upon Default of such heirs to Revert to y» next
heirs at Law to y« s'^- Richard Lee always provided that y« s'^ Leeanna Jones possess y* s"i:
two hundred acres of Laud During her natiirall Life. To be lield of our Sovereign Lady the
Queen her heirs and successors as of y manner of East Greenwich in y County of Kent in
free and Comon soccage Yielding and Paving the Quitrents due and accustomed to be paid
for ye the same being one shilling for every fifty acres and the s^ ■ Richard Lee for himself his
Executors administrators and assignes and Every of them Do Covenant promise Grant and
agree to and with y« s'^ ' Hancock Lee his heirs Executors administrators and assignes and
every of them in manner following that is to say That the said Richard Lee now hath and
untill ye Estate hereby. meant menconed and intended to be made to y« s^- Hancock Lee his
heirs and assignes for ever to his and their own proper use and behoof shall be fully abso-
lutely and lawfully Executed and Vested in y^ s'^'- Hancock Lee his heirs and assignes for
Ever as afores'*" shall continue to have hold and Enjoy a good perfect free firm and inde-
feasible Estate in fee simple and him and his heirs for Ever of in and unto y"^ premises herein
before Granted and every part thereof with y^ appurtenances Except before Excepted AND
that he hath good Right full power and lawful authority to Convey y« same in any manner
herein before Expressed unto ye s'^ • Hancock Lee and to his heirs and assignes for Ever.
And that y° s'^' Granted premises and every part thereof w"' y« appurtenances are free and
Clear of and from all former and other Gifts Grants Bargains Sales Extents Statutes Recog-
nizances Judgments Execucons Covenants articles and agreements Intails Wills Dowers Joyn-
turesand of and from all and all manner of other titles troubles and Incumbrances whatso-
ever and shall so Remain until y^ Estate hereby Intended to be made shall be fully and
absolutely to ail intents and purposes Vested and Confirmed unto y« s^' Hancock Lee
his heirs and assignes for Ever And That ye s'^- Hancock Lee his heirs and assignes
for ever hereafter yielding and payng y^ Quitrents for y^ same as aforesaid may and
shall peaceably and Quietly have hold possess occupy and Enjoy ye s'^^ Granted premises
and every part thereof w'*i y« appurtenances Except before Excepted fully freely and
absolutely exonorated acquitted and Discharged of and from all and all manner of
former and other Bargains Sales Gitfts Grants Estates Rents Releases other than tho>e herein
before Expressed and of all Joyntures Dowers Statutes Recognisances Judgments Execucons
forfeitures seizures Tsiues Extents Escheats and all other charges titles troubles Incumbrances
and Demands whatsoever had made comitted suffered acknowledged Executed or Done or
hereafter to be acknowledged had made Comitted sutTered Executed or done by him ye s"i-
Richard Lee his heirs Exccut'rs administrators or assignes or by any other p'son or p'sons
whatsoever and free and clear of and from any Lett Suit trouble or charge whatsoever of or
by ye s'^' Richard Lee his heirs Exec'rs administ"s and assignes or any other p'son or p'sons
whatsoever. AND That he y"' a''- Richard Lee his heirs Execut'rs and administrators all and
singular y* herein before granted premises w"> y* appurtenances Except before Excepted
unto ye s'^' Hancock Lee his heirs and asaigues shall and will warrant and forever Defend
in
524
LF.E OF VIRGINIA.
by these p'sents against him ye s'' : Kichurd Lee his heirs Exect's Adm'es and assignes and
Everv of them and against all and Iv.ci y otht-r p'son or p'sons whatsoever And Lastly
That from time to time and at all time^ within seven years now next coming after ye date of
these presents y s- Richard Lee his heirs Execut's administ's and assignes and every of
them at y reasonaMe Re>juest Cost and charge in y^ Law of y-' s^- Hancock Lee his heirs
Execut's ad.minist's and assignes or Either of them shall and will do make suffer acknowledge
Execute and p'form all and every such further and other act and acts thing and things Con-
veyance and Conveyances assurances and Confirmacons in Law for y" better assurance and
sure making of y jMcmijcs herein before granted and every part thereof w"' y« appurtenances
Excep; before Exce[nvd unto y* s''- Hancock Lee his heirs and assignes for Ever as aforesJ:
according to y*^ true intent and meaning of these p'sents as by y-' s''- PLincock Lee his heirs
and Execut's administ's and assignes or by his or their Councill Learned in y^ Law shall be
Reasonably Devised advised or Required. In Witness whereof the said Richard Lee hath
hereto set his hand and seale the Day and year hrst alx)ve Written.
This deed v. as recorded at Northumberland court-house, on the iSth
of February, 1707,8. It was recorded, a second time, the i6th May, 1711.
In 1 7 16 an accurate survey was made of this estate for Richard Lee,
son and heir of Hancock. I'he estate was then found to contain 904
acres. The original plan of this survey is now in the possession of the
owners of " Ditclilcy," and tlic lines marked out on it agree exactly with
the boundaries given in the old deed of 1707. To secure a [)erfect title to
the additional 304 acres, Richard Lee ajjplied for this patent from the Pro-
prietor of the Northern Neck, who at that time was Catharine, daughter of
Lord (Julpeper and wife of Lord Fairfax :
The Right Hon"'-' Catharine Lady Fairfax sole Proprietor of the Northern Neck of
Virginia, 'I'o all to whom this present writing shall come send greeting in our Lord God
Everlasting. — Whereas Mr. Richard Lee of y- Cty of North'land Gent" (upon his sugges-
tion of surplus land within the bounds of a patent formerly granted to Rich'd Lee Es<[.
bearing ilate the Twonty-tir.-t day of May one thousand six hundred and fifty one, of w^''' the
s'd sugge-tor is in ])Ossession) did obtain a warrant from my office for laying out the same,
and h.iving now retiu-neu a survey thereof under the hand of Mr. Jno. Coppedge Surveyor,
Know v therefore tliat I for and in consideration of the ■ to me paid, on the annual
Rer.t hereafter reserved, have granted made over and confirmed and do by these presents
grant make over and c.i'iiirriie unto tiie .-.lid .Mr. Richard Lee nine hundred and four acres
of land, six hundred, p.irt thereof Ijeing granted in a forementioned pattent and three hun-
dred and four the residue surplus v/ithin the aiuient natural and artificial bounds thereof,
situate lying and being in the parish gre U Wiccomocoe, on the southward side of the divid-
ing creeks in the county aforesaid and bounded, ^vc. &c.
Kendall Lee,' son and heir of the Richard Lee mentioned in this
grant, petitioned the \'irginia .\ssembly, in 1766, for power to dock the
entail on certain land^^. In his petition he stated that he was possessed
" as tenant in fee tail" of 904 acres in Northumberland county. Col.
1 Hening, VIII, 279.
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DITCHLEY LINE, SECOND GENERATION. S^S
Richard Lee, the immigrant, devised two plantations to his wife, which he
described as the "plantation whereon I now dwell, . . . also the planta-
tion Mocke Nocke." At her death tliis land was to go to his three younger
sons, whom he monlioned 1>y name, William, Hancock, and Charles. It
seems probable that his widow re.-iJcd there until her death, and that her
sons only entered into possession ai'ier her death. It has usually been stated
that Hancock built the old Ditchley mansion about 16S7, but there is no
evidence to substantiate this tradition. It is not even positively known
whether the innnigrant lived at " Ditchley " or " Cobb's Hall." As the two
were in his day practically one estate, separated only by a narrow arm of
the Dividing Creeks, it is not a maltei of any importance. The Ditchley
estate is located on a narrow peninsula between the north and south
branches of Dividing Creek ; the old mansion was situated some little distance
back from the main creek, near another and sn^aller branch. In the rear
of the mansion was a grove of trees, and near b)- the old burial ground, still
to be seen. The present house was located about two hundred yards
from the old mansion ; it was built by Kendall 1-ee, grandson of Hancock,
and was completed about 1765-70, as estimated by the late James Flexmer
Ball.
Of this place r.i-hop Meade wrote : "In the County of Northumber-
land and parish of Great Wycomico. within sight of the Chesapeake Bay,
there is an estate and mansion called Ditchley — an English name of note,
which has probably from its settlement, more than one hundred years ago,
been the favorite resort of the ministers of the Episcopal Church. Its
present owner is Mr. James Flexmer Ball. His father, Mr. Joseph Ball,
was one of the truest members of our church. . . . Ditchley is one of the
old residences of tlie Lees. The mansion called Cobbs, where Colonel
Richard Lee, the first of the family, lived for some time, was near Ditchley,
and has only recently [185,5] been removed to make place for another,
although it mu^L have been built two hundred years or more." (O/d
Churches, Faini/icj, Cy-'c:, II, 13^.)
Hancock Lee's will wc^ marie the 3Tst of December, 1706 ; one codicil
was added the ist of January, 1706-7 ; a second the i8th of May, and a
third the 20th of May, 1709. It was probated at Northumberland court-
house the 20th July, 1709 :
In the name of God, Amen. I Hancock Lee of the County of Northumberland in
y« Colony of Virj^iui.i, bein^' of sound and perfect sense and memory and blessed l)e God,
doe make this my l.i^t NVili and Testament hereby revoking all other and former wills %vhat-
soever by me made. Impr's I comitt and comend my soule to almit^hty God that gave it
me hopeing through the merritts of Je^us Clu'.-t my Redeemer that after this my sinfuU life
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5a6 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ''
is ended to enjoy Eternall life and happiness with him in Heaven and my body to the earth
from whence it was taken desireing the same may have a decent buryall as my Exor's or
Trustees hereafter named shall think tltt. Item I give and bequeath to my deare daughter
Mrs. .\nna Armstead Four pounds sterlini^ to be paid her the next shipping after my decease,
if shee survives me otherwise the s>i four pounds to be and remaine wholie to the use
and benefit of my Ex'ors hereafter named. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Richard
Lee thirteen silver spoons they being sent for on purpose for him, they having engraved on
the back side the handle the two first letters of his name and I doe likewise give to him
the said Richard Lee ray silver hilted sword and bufi" belt with silver buckles.
Item. I give and bequeath unto ray deare loveing wife a childs part of all my personall
Estate if shee will be content with itt and if shee like not that shee must be content with
what the late Law of this Colony will give her (that is to say) a Third of all Lands and
negroes during her life and then to whome of right in Law it doth belong and my Will is
further that my wife's part be sett aside from the rest of my estate in the first place whatso-
ever it be whether Thirds or childs part but not if my debts be very considerable att my
death which hope in God they may not, then my desire is that soe much be sett apart of
ray estate before anything be divided as may be thought by my Trustees to be sufficient to
satisfie and pay my just debts and after my wife's part is taken out my will is that all the
rest of my Estate be divided into one part more than I have children and my son Richard
l^e to have two parts upon division and his choise that is to say my will is that my son
Richard Lee have a double portion of all my Estate after all my Just debts and Legacies
and my wifes part out as indeed he ought to have by reason that a great part of my estate
came by his mother. Item. My will is that my son Richard Lee be by my Trustees here-
after possessed of his Estate when he comes to the age of Eighteen which will be in the y«
yeare 1709 Aug't y^ iSth. Item. My will and desire is that my estate be divided with what
possible speed may be after my death soe much first sett apart as may be sufficient to satisfie
and pay my Just debts and legacies and my will is that my son Richard Lee's Estate that is
to say his negroes be kept and remaine working on the Land where they then are att my
death, and if any cropp then on the groimd they to assist in the tending of it untill it be
finished and then they to have their Equall shares for the proper use of my said son Rich-
ard and my will is that my son Richard Lee have Two thirds of all the dividend of land
where I now live to work his servants ui>3n with Two thirds of all the Houseing on s"* Plan-
tation except the Dwelling house Kitchen Dairy and sellars the which I give my wife the
v.holc and sole u^e off untill my sone Richard Lee comes to the age of Eighteen and then
he my s'^ son to have the whole use and benefitt of Two thirds of all the houses and
sellarage belonging to said plantation and my will is that if my wife will not be obleidged
to keep the said houseing that she has priviledge of in as good repaire as they are at my
death untill my sone Richard Lee comes to the age afores^ then my will is that shee have
but one Third part assigned as speedily as may be after my death and I doe desire that soe
much of my sone Richards goods as may be perishable may be sold by my Trustees here-
after named as they shall think fitt. Item, I give .and bequeath unto rny son Richard Lee
the Dividend of land I now live on being called by the name of mancocks neck to him
the said Richard Lee and his heircs forever, and in case of his death before he comes to the
age of one and twenty or without heires of his Iwdy lawfully begotten then the said land
to him her or either of their heirs to whome of right in Law it doth belong forever and I
doe humbly begg my Hon*''' and good friend Rob't Carter Esq, my deare Bro"' Rich'i Lee
Esq. and my Cozen Cap' John Ilowson that they would be pleased to tak^ upon them the Trust
and management of my Estate and children untill they come to lawfuU age. Item, I give
DITCHLF.V LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 527
and bequenth unto each of the said Gentle^ above named as trustees Twenty ShilUngs to
buy a Riiifj to weare for my sake which I desire may be paid out of my estate as soon as
possible after my decease. Item, my will is that my son Richard Lee have not power att all
to sell any negroe without the consent of two of my Good friends above named untill he
comes to the aj^e of Twenty one hereby appointing ray sonc Richard Lee whole and sole
ElxeCof this my last will. In witness whereof, >.\;c.
Be it known unto all men by thesF presents that whereas I Hancock Lee of Northumb'-l-
County in ye Colony of Virg«- have made and Declared my last Will and Testament in
writing beaiin;:; date the last day of December 1706 I the said Hancock Lee by this present
Codicill doe confirrae and ratihe my said Last Will and Testam* and doe give and bequeath
unto my son Isaac Lee all my land which I have taken up above the falls of Rappi^ River
(that is to say) Three tracts to him and his heires forever and my will and meaning is that
this Codicill cr schedule be and be adjudged to be part and parcell of my s'^ last Will and
Testara' and that all things therein contained and mentioned be faithfully and truely per-
formed and fully and amply in every respect as if the same were see declared and sett downe
in my last Will and Testara^ In witness, &c. 1st Januar)-, 1706-7.
Be it knowne unto all men by these presents that whereas I Hancock Lee of Northum-
bcr'ii County in y^ Colony of Virg-' have made and declared my last Will and Testam' in
writing bearing date y^' last day of December 1706 I the said Hancock Lee by this present
Codicill doe confirme and ratifie my s' last will and Testam^ and doe give and bequeath
unto son Jolin Lee all that tract of land I have taken up att Chapowamsick Contayning
seventeen hundred and lifty acres to him the 5<i John Lee and his heires forever and if that
child that my wife is now with child of he a Boy then my will and bequest is that he have
all tlie land I have taken up above Occoquon on Sandy River and Woolf Run to him and
his heires forever but if the child my wife is now with child prove a female then my son
John Lee to have all my land in Potomack to him and his heires forever and my will and
meaning is that this Codicill or schedule be and be adjudged to be part and parcell of my
5"^ Last Will and Testara' and that all things herein contained and mentioned be faithfully
and truely performed and as fully and amply in every respect as if the same were sett downe
and declared in my Last Will and Testam'- In wimess, &c. iSth May, 1709.
My Will and de-ire is that five pounds be paid out of my Estate by my Trustees to the use
of the pari ,h church for a peace of Communion Plate and my will is that Mr. Bartholomew
Schriever be p'd by s'^ Trustees Three pound which I have received of his from a Gentle-
man in Maryland. Item, I give unto ye Reverend Mr. Joseph Three pound to preach
my funeral! .Sermon in Wiccocomoco Church. In testimony c'.c. 20th May, 1709.
Of Hancock Lee, Bishop Meade wrote : " I'hat he was a paiion of the
Church is shown by the fact that he presented a Communion Cup to the
parish in 1729 [1709]. In honor either of himself or father, or the whole
family, the parish was then called Lee parish, as may be seen by the in-
scription on the cup. It was afterward called Wycomico. After the down-
fall of the parish, Mr. Joseph Ball placed this and the other pieces into my
hands for preservation, in hoi)e that the day might come when the old Lee
and more modern Wycomico parish might call for it again." The cup is
now in use at old Wycomico Church ; the inscription on it, as furnished by
the rector of the pari.sh, the Rev. E. B. Burwell, reads: " Ex Dono Han-
cock Lee to y'^ Parish of Lee. 17 11."
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52S LEE OF VIRGINIA. .
Hancock Lee and Mary Kendall, his first wife, had three children:
i, William', born prior to 1682, for in that year he was mentioned in a
deed by his grandfather, William Kendall ; it is stated that he died
young and without issue; that his brother, Richard Lee, inherited his
lands. (VIII, Hening, 278.) As he was not mentioned in his father's
will, he probably died before 1706.
ii, Anna\ was born prior to the 5th of January, 1682, and was living as
late as October, 1754 ; she was evidently twice married; first to Wil-
liam Armistead. grandson of William, the immigrant, by whom she
had a son, John, and probably daughters, Judith, Martha, Mary, and
Anne. William Armistead probably died the 13th of June, 171 1, set.
40 years (tombstone); his widow had certainly remarried in 1726,
when she was called "Anne Eustace" by her brother Isaac Lee, in
his will. By her marriage with William Eustace she, had issue: John,
\Villiam, Isaac, Hancock, and daughters, Mrs. Gaskins,' Mrs. Beale,
Mrs. Carr, and Mrs. Lee (Hayden, Va. Genealogies, 261.) (See
Armistead Family for further notice.)
iii, Richard'. See 3.
Hancock Lee had by his second wife, Sarah Allerton, four children:
iv, Isaac', was born in 1707, as shown by the codicil to his father's will ;
he died in England, in 1727. An abstract of his will, made by Mr.
H. F. Waters, is as follows: Isaac Lee, late of Rappahannock River
in America, mariner, but now of Stepney, Middlesex, iSth November,
1726; proved 3d November, 1727. To my honoured Mother, Sarah
Lee, of America, Widow, one of my best negroes, such as she shall
choose. To my brother Richard Lee, of America, the next best negro,
such as he shall choose. To my brothers John and Hancock Lee all
my estate, such ns land and houses in America, to them and the sur-
'. vivor of them, when they shall attain the several ages of 21 years, and
to the male heirs of their bodies. If they die without male issue, then
to my brother Richard and the issue male of his body; failing such
issue then to the daughter or daughters of my said brothers John and
Hancock Lee, during their natural lives, and after their decease to my
Sisters Anne Eustace and Elizabeth Lee. If they die without issue
then to the daughter or daughters of my brother Richard Lee. (Other
provisions.) I hereby appoint and nominate Coll. Robert Carter and
my brother Richard Lee of America, E.xecutors, &c., relating to my
estate and effects in America and William Dawkins of London, Gent.,
lEJwatJ Digges, eldest son of Edward and Eli/.ibeth (Ciskins) Digges, married (30th of March,
lyoS'i, Ann Eu'stacc Gaskins, who was probably a daughter of thii Mrs. Gaskins.
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DITCHLEY LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 529
relating to my aflfairs in England. {New I^ng. Hist, c^ Gen. J^egis/er,
XLIV, 391.)
V, John', first mentioned in the codicil to his father's will, dated i8th
May, 1709, so he was probably born in the early months of that year.
He died the nth August, 1789,, at the houie of his nephew, John Lee,
in Orange county. As his will mentioned neither wife nor children,
it is probable that he was never married. After a k^^ be([ue5ts, he left
to his nephew John I.ee, son of brother Hancock Lee, dec'd, the
y residue of his estate, and in case of his death without heirs, it was to
be equally divided between nephews and nieces, children of his brother
Hancock Lee. He mentioned nephews Hancock, Henry, and Richard
Lee, sons of his brother Hancock Lee; nieces, Sarah Alexander Gilli-
son and Mary Willis Madison, daughters of brother Hancock Lee.
John Lee, Ex'or; will dated Sth December, 1787 ; probated in Orange,
22d September, 17S9. This John Lee, under the second codicil to his
father's will, inherited 1..750 acres in Stafford on Chapowarasick ;
on the 2d October, 1724, a John Lee, of "Stafford," patented 240
acres in Stafford, on Cedar Run and a branch of Chapowamsic,
adjoining the land of Mr. Hancock Lee. The "Mr. Hancock Lee"
here mentioned was probably the brother of John, as he too inherited
land in Stafford.
vi, Hancock'. See 4.
vii, Elizabeth'. If Hancock Lee died 25th May, 1709, and declared, on
iSth ^L^y, 1709, that his wife was then pregnant, it seems certain that
both Hancock and Elizabeth were born after his death, so they must
have been born in the latter part of 1709, and were twins. Elizabeth
married Zachary Taylor, son of James and Martha (Thompson) Taylor,
and had: Zachary, Hancock, Richard, and j'^.lizabeth. (See Taylor
Family.)
THE ALLERTOXS.
Isaac AUerton, "Merchant Tailor," of London, was born about 1583
and died in 1659 ; he came over to Plymoutli in the "Mayflov/er," in 1620
was one of the five signers of the " Plymouth Compact," and was a wealthy
and very prominent member of that Colony. He was chosen deputy governor
in 1621, and later made four voyages to England as agent of the Colony.
Finally he fell into disfavor wiih the ruling powers of Plymouth and in con-
sequence removed to Marblehead, Mass., where he built stores, owned two
vessels, and traded extensively. In 1635, being compelled to leave Marble-
34
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53° LEE OF VIRGINIA.
head, he settled at New Haven ; was also a resident of " New Amsterdam "
for some time, and at one time a member of its Council, 1643. I-ater he
returned to New Haven, \\ here he died in 1659. He was married three times ;
first in 161 1, at I,eyden, Holland, to Mary Norris (or Collins); she came
over with him on the "Mayflower" and died the 25th February, 1621 ;
his childien by this wife were: Bartholomew, Remember, Mary, and Sarah.
He married, secondly, about 1626, Fear, a daughter of Elder William Brew-
ster (1560— 1644) of Plymouth, " the father of New England," and also one
of the ''Mayflower " pilgrims. She died on the 12th of December, 1643, leav-
ing one son, Isaac. Apparently there were no children by the third wife,
Johanna . Isaac AUerton, the son, was born about 1630, at Plymouth,
and lived there for some years with his grandfather, Elder Brewster; was
graduated at Harvard in 1650 ; is supposed to have settled in Virginia about
1654. Evidently his father had been in Virginia, probably on trading voy-
ages, for in his will he mentioned debts due him in that Colony. Major Isaac , - " "
Allerton (as he has been known) settled on the west side of the Machotick
creek or river ; his nearest neighbors were John Lee, Henry Corbin, and
Dr. Thomas Gerrard, with whom he made an arrangement for building a
banqueting house and for entertaining in 1670. Isaac Allerton was major in
the militia over which John Washington was the colonel; both took an ac-
tive part in the Indian wars and especially in the affair " att ye Susquihano
ffort " in 1676. He died in 1702; in his will he bequeathed some lands
and tobacco to his '' daughter Sarah Lee," mentioned his grandson. Aller-
ton Newton, and left the bulk of his estate to his son, Willoughby Allerton.
This Willoughby Allerton, Collector of Customs for Potomac River in IXH)
married Mrs. Hannah Bushrod. the widow ot John Bushrod of Nominy and
daughter of William Keene ; tfey- had two children: Elizabeth and Isaac, l^v .;.?i^ ;.■•[- t:.
He died in 1723-4; styled himself in his will, "Willoughby Allerton, ""-""^ '7^^'-'^ ^
Gent, of ^\'estmoreland county in Virginia." His son Isaac was evidently
the husband of Gawin Corbin's daughter, as mentioned by Bishop ?Jeade
(0/t/ Churches, etc., II, 146) ; in his will.he named her "Anne." Their
children were :* Gawin, Isaac, and Willoughby. Ihis, feaae aied in I759,\.'^i'"^»-yi7
and bequeathed 200 acres to his neighbor, Richard Lee, Esq"^., and jQ^oo p
to Capt. Hancock Eustace. -^■U'vfc Ar.<•^^[J.•|,l..^cL^n*.M^:l i-uuicj §■ tKfv««^t'n.,A .\vz. '^<^"j.c'^fti
THE TAYLOR FAMILY.
" The Taylors of Orange trace their ancestry back to James Taylor, of
Carlisle, England. The ti-me of his emigration to Virginia is not known.
It appears he settled on the Chesapeake between the North and York
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DITCHLEV LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 53I
Rivers." {^Ohi Churches, Families, etc., II, 9S.) This James Taylor mar-
ried, and left several children at his death in 169S. His eldest son,
James, moved to Orange county, and married r^lartha Thompson, by whom
he had : James, Zachary, George, Erasmus, Frances (who married Ambrose
Madison and was the grandmother of President James Madison), and sev-
eral daughters. His youngest child, John Taylor, married Catharine, daugh-
ter of Philip and Isabella (Hart) Pendleton, and had ten children; among
these was James Taylor, who married Ann Pollard, and had, among others,
the Hon. John Taylor (1750-1824), of Caroline county, who was a member
of the U. S. Senate at several different times, member of the Virginia
Assembly, etc. ; he married Lucy, daughter of John Penn, the signer of the
Declaration of Independence from North Carolina; their son, George
Taylor, niarried Catharine, daughter of Peyton and Lucy (Harrison) Ran-
dolph, and had Luc}' Penn Taylor, who married Charles Carter Lee, as
previously staled (p. 404).
Zachary, the second son of the above-mentioned James and Martha
(Thompson) Ta)lor married Elizabeth, daughter of Hancock and Sarah
(AllLrton) Lee, by whom he had (as Bishop Meade stated) seven sons and
three daughters. Their second son, Hancock Taylor, was a surveyor and
one of the first white persons to penetrate irito the wilds of the present state
of Kentucky, where he was killed in 1774 by the Indians; was accompanied
by his cousin, Willis Lee, to whom he left {property. Another son. Col.
Richard Taylor, of Revolutionary fame, married Sarah, daughter of Wil-
liam Strother, of StatTord county, and had President Zachary Taylor
(17S4-1S50), who manied Margaret, daughter of Walter Smith, of Calvert
county, Maryland, and v.as the father of General Richard Taylor, C. S. A.,
and also of Sarah Knox Taylor, the first wife of Jefferson Da\is. Their
daughter, Eliznbeth Taylor, married Thomas Jlcll, and had a daughter,
Elizal)eth, who married lier cousin John Lee, son of Plancock and Mary
(Willis) Lee.
Tiie Hon. Robert Taylor, member of Mrginia Senate, 1S04-5-6, and
presiding officer of the same; member of Congress, 1S25-7, was of this
family. Also Col. Francis Taylor, of the Virginia Line Continental Army.
THE AR^IISTEAI) }-'AMlLV.
.■V-rms : Ar^jeiit, a chevron gules, between points of spears azure, tasselled in the middle, or.
Crest : .\ dexter liand in armour einbowed, proper, lioliHng tlie butt end of a broken spear.
It has been a tradition that the .\rmisteads derived their name and
origin from Larmstadt, and that their seat, •' Hesse," in Gloucester county.
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LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Virginia, also derived its name from the same source. " Without deciding
when or whether in modern times they crossed the German Ocean, it
is sufficient to say that they were Englishmen for several generations before
William Armistead came to America, the name, with varied spelling,
frequently appearing in Yorkshire records of the time of Queen Eliza-
beth. The emigrant to America seems, from the names of his children,
Anthony and Frances, to have been the son of Anthony 'Armitstead ' of
Kirk Deighton, Yorkshire, and Frances Thompson, of the same place, who
obtained a marriage license in the year 1608. On August 3d, 16 10,
' William y« son of Anthony Armsteed of Kirk Deighton ' was baptized
at All Saints' Church, the only church in the parish. Search for a few
years later discloses the fact that this child, whom I suppose the emigrant,
passed safely through the period of tender infancy ; at least no burial can
be found. His father continued to reside there, having other children,
and a contemporary named Thomas Armsteed, who also had a family.
The emigrant's marriage did not take place there, if, as I assume, it was
later than 1627, and prior to 1634." *
Such is Mr. Keith's brief account of the origin of this Virginia family,
and one that has been the parent stock of many distinguished Virginians.
William "Armestead" received a patent in 1636 from Captain John
West, then Governor of Virginia, for 450 acres in Elizabeth City county;
among his "head rights" was his wife, Anne. He left three sons,
William, John, and Anthony ; also a daughter, Frances, who was married
three times : first, to the Rev. Justinian Aylmer, next to Lieut-Col.
Anthony Elliott, and lastly, to Col. Christopher Wormeley. All three of
his sons were members of the House of Burgesses in 1685. The eldest,
William, died without issue. The second, John, the " Councillor," was
Sheriff for Gloucester in 1675, Burgess in 1685. and appointed to the
Council in 1687. After the accession of William and Mary to the Eng-
lish throne, he, with Isaac Allerton and Richard Fee, was dropped from the
Council for refusing to take tlie oaths. He is said to have married a
Bowles ; he certainly had one wife whose baptismal name was Judith, but
her family is not definitely known. His issue were : Judith, who married
"King" Robert Carter, being his first wife (see Carter Family under
Stratford Line, 35) ; Elizabeth, who married first Ralph Wormeley and
next William Churchill ; William, who married Anna Lee, as stated, and
lastly, Henry, who married Martha Burwell, and had issue: William, Lucy,
and Robert. Of these children, William married a daughter of James
1 r/;<r Arufsiry of Bfnja,nin Harriser: , etc., by Charles P. Keith, p. 12, tt Jc-/., from which much of
this sVelch has been t.iken.
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DITCHLEY LINE, SECOND GENERATION. 533
Bowles, who had been of the Council in Maryland; he died in 1755 (VIII,
Heaing, 669), leaving William, John, and Bowles ; the last inherited lands
in Culpeper county, and married Mary Fontaine ; their daughter, Eliza-
beth, married, in 1797, Ludwell Lee, being his second wife (see Stratford
Line, 33).
Information about the marriage, number of children, etc., of William
Armistead and Anna Lee, is scanty. It is not probable that she was mar-
ried as early as 1691, as shown by the following: In April of that year a
town or wharf was ordered to be built " ftor Northampton county upon
one of the branches of Cherry Stone Creek, on the land of Mrs. Anna
Lee,^ the daughter of Captain Hancock Lee, now in the tenure of the
widow of Andrew Small." (Ill, Hening, 59.) This land had been given
her by her grandfather, as shown in the following abstract of a petition
from Hening (VI, 443-4-5) : ":
William Kendall, dec'd. of Northampton, deeded 700 acres on Cherrystone Creek, ist
August, 16S5, to Hancock Lee and Mary, his wife, for life ; at their decease to Anna daugh-
ter of said Hancock and Mary : said Anna after the death of Hancock and Mary entered
on the said 700 acres and married William Armistead, now deceased, and had John Armi-
stead, also deceased, who in turn left a son, John Armistead, of Gloucester county, who
after the death of his grandmother, Anna, will be entitled to the said 700 acres. The said
John Armistead, the father, in his will of 9th April, 1734, gave to his daughter, Susanna,
/600 to be paid at 21 or marriage ; also to his son William Armistead, ^"600, both to be
paid by his son John ; said Susanna has intermarried with Moore Fauntleroy, of Richmond
county, Sec.
As previously mentioned, William Armistead and Anna Lee probably
had these five children: John, Judith, Martha, Mary, and Anne. The
above extract tells of the son's issue. Mr. Keith says he was twice mar-
ried ; first, to Elizabeth, whom James Burwell called "sister" in his will;
he next married Susanna, the daughter of Thomas Meriwether, of Essex
county. His three children — John, William, and Susanna— Mr. Keith
thinks, may have been by the second wife.
Of these daughters, Judith niarried George Dudley ; Martha, also called
sister,' by James Burwell, may have married Lewis Burwell. Mary was
twice married; first, to James Burwell, who died in 1718, aged 29, leaving
two children, Nathaniel Bacon and Lucy Burwell. She married, secondly,
Philip Lightfoot, of York county. In his will of 31st July, 1749? he
' About a hundred and fifty years ago, and earlier, the title " Mrs." was applied impartially to unmar-
ried as well ui to married women. Even children were sometimes so styled. The burial of an infant
daughter of John MUtO'.i, who died aged only five months, is recorded in the parish register of St. Mar-
garet's, Westminster, as " Mrs Ka*h.irine Milton," followed by a small c, to indicate that a child is meant.
* Probably meaning sister-in-law* for he also mentioned " brother John Armistead" and " Mother
Ann Armistead" ( fK. unJ .''f. Cc'.U^i Quarterly, II, 232.)
534
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
mentioned three sons: John, Armistead, and William Lightfoot. The
first of these sons, Mr. Keith thinks, rnay have been by a previous marriage.
Anne, the last child of William and Anna (Lee) Armistead, is mentioned in
the (Richmond) SfanJarJ as the daughter of Captain William Armistead,
of Eastmost River, Ciloucester. She married, on the 4th of April, 1725,
Anthony Walke, and left issue.
The wide distribution of this family in Virginia, even many years ago,
is shown by the fact that in the County Committees of Safety of 1775-76,
Robert Armistead of Louisa, John of Caroline, Henry of Charles City,
and John of New Kent, were members.
'' , DITCHLEY LINE, THIRD GENERATION.
, ' , '■ : . Richard Lee.
3. Richard*, the second son of Hancock Lee' (Richard^) and Mary
Kendall, his first wife, was born at " Ditchley " on the iSth of August,
1691, as stated in his father's will. He died in the same place in 1740,
and was buried there. Richard was a Ju'^tice and first of the " Quorum "
in 1 714. so had probably been some years in commission ; he was Clerk of
Northumberland county from 1 716 to 1735. He married Judith Steptoe,
and had seven children, which is proven by the manner in which his per-
sonal estate was divided. One-third was awarded the widow and the other
two-thirds were divided into seven parts ; of these, each child evidently
received one-seventh.
The auditors, Philip Smith, Robt. Jones, and Thos. Winter report :
Noithumborland SS. In obedience to an order of Court made the I ith of August 1740
wherein il was ordered that we the subscribers should meet at the house of Mrs. Judith
Lee to allot her the third part of her Deci- Husbands Estate and Mr. Peter Conway bis
wifes filial part of her fathers Estate, pursuant to the said order we have mctt and proceeded
as followeth the amounts of the thirds of the Dec'i Estate is £2C)() is id allotted as here-
unden:eath [names of articles omiUed]. Mr. Peter Conway's wifes part which is the 1-7 of
2( amounts to /S5 S^ 10 -.d paid him as follo'.\eth [names of articles omitted]..
Northuniberl'- In obedience to an order of Court of fores''- County made the 14 of
7br: 1 741 wherein it was ordered that we y^'- subscribers should meet and allot Mr. Charles
Lee his wifes Filial part of her fathers Estate accordingly we mett at the house of Mrs. Judith
Lee the 4-*' • of this instant and allotted him oil Eighty five povmds five .shillings and four pence
three farthings it being his just part.
This division applied only .to the personal estate : the real estate was
inherited by his son Kendall. Of these seven children the names of only
five have been ascertained. The Northumberland records give the marriage
contract, dated i6th o'i February, 1749, between Samuel Peachy, of Rich-
mond countv, and Judith Lee, widow, of Northumberland county, which
was vv-itnessed by John Leeland, Kendall Lee, Betty Lee, and Lucy Lee.
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DITCHLEY LIXR, THIRD GENERATION. 535
i, Kendall*. See 5. " ""' ' "
ii Elizabeth*, who married Major Peter Coir.vay, being h;s second wife,
' prior to division of her father's estate in 1740 ; she survived him, for
he left "his loving wife Betty my Chair and two horses and also my
mulatto boy Robin besides her Dower of all my Estate." (Hayden,
Va. Genealogies, 246, foot-note.)
iii M^RY*, who married her cousin Charles Lee, of - Cobbs Hall," prior
' to "the 14th of 7br: 1741 " ; " Mary Lee wife of Charles Lee departed
this Life the 4th day of March, in the year of our Lord God i744-" ,
(Family Bible.)
iv, Judith*, born ; died the 24th of March, 1791; married about
1745-6, David Galloway, Sr., a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, who
then lived in Virginia, and had, it is said, only two children, Helen
and David ; Helen married a Mr. Gilmour, a Scotchman then residing
in Lancaster county, Va.; David married T^Iargaret, daughter of Capt.
James Blair, of Northumberland, and had, at least, one son, Ricliard
Lee Gallowav.
V, Lettice * ; from her tomb at old White Chapol, Lancaster, this inscrip-
' tion was copied : " In memory of Lettice, 3d wife of Col. James Ball,
daughter of Richard Lee of Ditchley. Died the 17th of November,
181 1, in the 80th year of her age." She was married about 1753, and
had issue: i, Judith, who was twice married ; first, on the 5d of No-
vember, 1 772, to Leroy Grlffm, and next, to Fauntleroy. 2, James
Ball, born the 20th of February, 1755, and died the iSth of Decem-
ber,'i825 ; he married, about 1776, Frances Downman, and had Joseph
(born 19th of August, 1777, and died the 19th of September, 1S51),
who was the father of the late James Flexmer Ball. James Ball pur-
chased part of the Ditchley estate in 17S9. 3, Anne, who married, on
the 31st of May, 1779, James Wallace Ball, and had issue. 4, Sarah,
who married Robert Fauntleroy and had issue. 5, Frances, who mar-
ried her first cousin George Lee (9, q. v.), s.-n of Kendall and Betty
(Heale) Lee, and had issue.
Of this Mrs. Ball, Miss Julia R. Down man wrote : " I have heard
my parents and others speak of her 'as old Mrs. Ball who lived at
Bewdley.' After her son James' marriage she gave up the house to'
them, and took as her rooms a wing of the house (long since pulled
down), where my father and mother well remember going in to see
her whenever they went to Bewdley. She had her own servants, and
superintended their needlework and spinning, work that was con-
sidered of great importance in that day. I know that old Mrs. Ball's
'S.^'
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536 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ^."J
mother was a Miss Steptoe. I have often seen a very handsome por-
trait of her, said to have been painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and
which was cut out of the frame and carried off during the last war."
(Hayden, I'a. Genealogies, 95, 96.)
Hancock Lee.
4. Hancock', the youngest son of Hancock Lee^ (Richard') by his
second wife, Sarah Allerton, was born in the latter part of the year 1709,
as proven by statements in the last codicil to his father's will. He married
in 1733, Mary, daughter of Col. Henry Willis, of Fredericksburg. Of this
Col. Willis, his grandson, Eyrd C. Willis, wrote. ^ "It is said of my grand-
father. Col. Henry Willis, that he courted his three wives when maids and
married them as widows. , . . He had children by each vv-ife. His sons by
the first and second wives died without male heirs. One of them left a
daughter, the late Mrs. Mary Daingerfield, of Coventry, Spottsylvania
county, Va. His daughters married a Lee, a Lewis, and a Green. Mrs.
Lee lived in Fauquier county, Va." Hancock Lee lived during the latter
years of his life near Warrenton, in Fauquier, where he died, some time
prior to August of 1789 ; but when he settled there is not known. In 1729,
a. Hancock Lee patented 393 acres in King William county, and sold 400
in 1 75 1 for ^115. One of the name was Justice for King George county,
1745 (W. G. Stanard). He left the following children:
i, Willis*, who accompanied his cousin Hancock Taylor and his brother
Hancock Lee to Kentucky in 1774. From some extracts from the old
Kentucky Gazette this is taken: '' In the year 1774 several surveyors
arrived in Kentucky, amongst them were Col. John Floyd, Hancock
Taylor, James Douglass, Isaac Hite, and Willis Lee. Taylor and Lee
were both killed by the Indians," etc. Hancock Taylor made his will
•,,;,: (July, 1774) -^ day or two before he died, and left part of the lands he
had surveyed to his " cousin Hancock Lee." Willis Lee was not killed,
' ■ only wounded, at that time. Gen. Robert Payne, in an application
for a pension as a Revolutionary soldier, stated '' During the summer
1 Mr. Thomas Marshall Green, of Danville, Ky., himself a descendant of CoL Henry Willis, has
devoted much time to the history of this and other families ; while he has not been able to fully ascertain
the name* of Col, V-'iliis" three wives, he feels confident that the first was Anne Alexander, the widow of
John Smith, of I'urtons ; the second and third, he thinks, were bolh Mildred Washingtons ; one the widow
of Brown, the other of R»ger Gregory. As to the last wife there does not see.ni to be any question. Mr.
Green is of the opiniof. that the Mary Willis who married Hancock Lee must have been a daughter by the
firs: wife. " Mrs. .Mildred Gregory" was General Washington's godmother, when he was baptized, the 5th
of April, 173;, to siie had not married Col. Willis at that date. The date of the marriage of Hancock Lee
and Mary Willis is recorded at Spottsylvania court-house.
r. -f'^o
DITCHLF.V LINE, FOUR) H GENERATION. 537
of 1776 the Indians evinced a hostile dispor,iiion. They had killed
Willis Lee, wounded Cyrus McCrackcn and Jose[.h l.indsey, and stolen
some horses." ' ...
ii, Hancock'. See 6.
iii, John*. See 7.
iv, Henry *. See S.
V, Richard *, died unmarried.
vi, Sarah Alexander', married Col. John Gillison, of the 6th Va. In-
fantry, Continental Army.
vii, Mary Willis*, born ; died the 14th of March, 1798, and was
buried at " Montpelier," Orange county, the Madison estate; she
married Captain Ambrose ^[adison, a son of Col. James and P^leanor
(Conway) Madison, of " Montpelicr," and younger brother of Tresi-
■ dent James Madison. Captain Madison served in the Virginia Line
during the Revolution. (Hayden, Kr. Genealo^^ies, 225-7.) They had
a daughter, Nellie Conway, who married Dr. John Willis, of " Vv'hite-
hall," Gloucester county ; he died in 1S12 of the yellow fever, and was
also buried at " Montpelier ;" ihoy had two children: Col. John
Willis, of Orange, and Mary Lee, who married her cousin, John Han-
cock Lee (19, q. v.).
DITCHLKY LINE, FOURTH GENERATION.
Kendall Lee.
5. Kendalls the son of Richard Lee'^ (Hancock'-', R.ichard ') and
Judith Stcptoe, his wife, was born , and died some time in the year
1780, probably in January. He married •' Betty " Heale, of Lancaster, on
the 9th of July, 1749 (Lancaster records); was a vestryman of Wycomico
Parish in 1777. (OIJ Fa/iu'/ics, C/unr/us, etc., II, 4f»7) ^^is will, dated
the iSth of September, 1779, and probated in Northumberland the 14th
of February, 17S0, mentioned his wiiV. '•' Betty Lee," his sons, William,
George, Kendall, Hancock, Richard Lancelot, and Arthur; his daughters,
Judith, Priscilla, Betty Edwards, and also Betty and Nancy, daughters of
John Kent. His wife's will, dated the 25th of November, 1789, and pro-
bated in July, 1790, mentioned their children as given in his will, and also
grandsons, Archibald Campbell, William Ixe Campbell, and Thomas
Edwards, son-in-law.
In 1766, Kendall Lee api/lied to the Assem.bly for leave to dock the
entail on some of his lands. In his petition, he staled that William
Kendall, late of Northamj.'ton county, by a deed of the 20th of April, 16S2,
1 Kiii.Jly furiiiihed by Mr. Green, from whom much v.il;-..ibl- inlormati jn has been received.
'SKii / : '
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538 LEE OF VIRGINIA. ' '" ' >V
gave to Hancock Lee and Mary, his then wife, daughter of said William
Kendall, 3,050 acres at Matchepungo, in Northampton, for their natural
lives, and at their deaths to go to William Lee, his grandson and to his
heirs, and in default of issue to the next male heir of Hancock
and ^Llry Lee ; and in default of such issue to his granddaughter, Anna
Lee. This land at William's death fell to his brother Richard, as next heir
to Hancock and ^L1ry Lee. The petition also mentions that Kendall was
" seized in fee simple of 50 acres in Northumberland adjoining a larger
tract of 904 acres, whereof he is seized as tenant in fee tail" (VHI, Hen-
ing, 478), clearly proving that he had inherited the Ditchley estate.
The following record of the issue of Kendall Lee and Betty Heale, his
wife, is substantially as given by Mr. Hayden (Fa. Genealogies, 98), with a
few additions and corrections ; especially in the record of the son Kendall,
whom Mr. Hayden's informant had confounded with another of the same
name :
i, William*, married Jane Payne ; in 1789, he sold " Ditchley " to Col.
James Ball, Jr., of "Bewdley," Lancaster county, who had married
his aunt, Lettice Lee ; Mr. Lee afterward removed to Fauquier county.
ii, George '". See 9.
iii, Kendall^. See 10.
iv, Hancock'. See 11.
V, Richard Lancelot ^, died in Fauquier county in September or
October, 1790 ; his will mentioned brothers, William, George, Kendall,
Hancock, and Arthur ; sisters, Priscilla, Betty Edwards, and Judith
Pierce. Apparently he was never married,
vi, Arthur °, no issue.
vii, Marv\ married Dr. Archibald Campbell, and had: Archibald and
William Lee, as named in their grandmother's will. This Dr. Camp-
bell tnay have been a son or grandson of the Rev. Archibald Campbell,
Mho was rector of old Round Hill Church, Westmoreland ; he left
three sons, Archibald, Alexander, and John,
viii, Elizabeth % ••Betty," married Thomas Edwards, a son of Thomas
and Elizabeth (Fauntleroy) Edwards ; he was born 2Sth of January,
1752 J died 20th of April, 179S ; was Clerk of the Northumberland
courts, and a vestryman of Wycomico Parish in 1777. Their issue
were: Richard, Kendall, Thomas, Lancelot, ^Lary Kendall, and
Alice Lee Edwards. In his will he committed his two daughters " to
the particular care of my two invaluable friends, Mrs. Helen Gilmour
and Mrs. Judith Pierce," and his son Kendall to his brother Richard
, Edwards. Named his friends, William Lee, John Gordon, Presly
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DITCHLEY LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 539
Thornton, and his brothers, Leroy and Griffin Edwards, together with
his son, Richard F.dwards. as his executors.
ix, Judith*, was twice married; first, to Pierce, and had at least
one child, a daiiirhter, Mary Pierce, who married, in 1803-4, the
Hon. AVilUim I.ee Hall, a grand.^on of James Ball and Lettice I.ee, his
wife. In 1790 she was called "Judith Pierce " by her brother, Rich-
ard Lancelot Lee ; also by her brother-in-law, Thomas Edwards, in his
will dated the 13th ofSeptember, 1797- She married, secondly, Gen-
eral John Blackwell, and had at least two daughters, Ann Eliza and
Emma Blackwell. The former was married, on the 27th of February,
I Si 7, to Dr. James Kendall Ball, of " Edgewood," Lancaster county,
and had i,ssue : John Barton, Capt. James Kendall, Fayette, and Oc-
tavia Augusta Ball. The second daughter, Emma, -was married about
I Si 5 to George ^\'illiam Downman ; no issue. (Hayden, Va. Geneal-
■ ogies, 98, 129.) There does not seem to be any probability that
Judith Lee was married three times, as has been suggested {^Ibid., 265),
for her brother-in-law called her " Mrs. Judith Pierce" as late as Sep-
ber, 1797.
.\, Priscili.a ', born 12th of June, 1770; died 27th of May, 1834; was
married, on 19th of October, 1794, to Griffin Edwards, son of
Thomas and Elizabeth (Fauntleroy) Edwards. Griffin Edwards was
born 17th of March, 1 76S ; they had these eight children : i, Ann
Priscilla, born 22d of Jul)-, 1795 ; died 17th of February, iSiS; was
married, on the nth of September, 1815, to Col. Joseph Ball (his
third wife), the youngest son of Capt. David Ball. Col. Joseph Ball
married, fourthly, Martha Kendall, a daughter of Kendall Lee and
Mary Xutt (ii, Cobbs Hall Line). 2, Betty Griffin, born Sth of March,
1797; died in 1S7-. 3, Louise Bushrod, born nth of April, 1799 ;
died 28th of November, iSoi. 4, Lucy Lee, born 30th of July, 1801 ;
died 20th of Deceuibcr, 1S37; married Hughlett. 5, LeRoy
Griffin, born T4th of February, 1804; died 23d of August, 1866 j
married, in May, 1S37, Fannie W. Robins, of Norfolk county.
6, \Vilh'am I.ee, born 14th of March, 1S07; died , 187- ; mar-
ried [.Elizabeth Garland, of Richmond county. 7, Mary Catharine,
born 17th of April, 1810 ; died nth of June, 1853. 8, Virginia
Fauntleroy, born i6th of .\pril, 1810; married Thomas Hughlett.
(/^/-/., 99-)
C.-vpT.\iN Hancock Lee.
6. Hancock.*, the second son of Hancock Lee' (Hancock ^ Rich-
ard') and Mary Willis, his wife, was probably born about 1736, and died
i\ ( « '>i ..1 . ij r
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540 , LEE OF VIRGINIA.
in the year 1815. Hancock Lee was evidently a civil engineer by profes-
sion. He accompanied his elder brother, Willis Lee, and his cousin,
Hancock Taylor, to Kentucky in 177 1. By the latter's will he inherited
lands in that state. He was also employed by the Ohio Company to survey
their lands. George Mason, of " Gunston," wrote: "Captain Hancock
Lee and one Mr. Lee are returned from surveying the Ohio Company's
200,000 acres of land, and are now here making out their returns and set-
tling their accounts, in assisting which I am closely engaged, as I wish to
have everything as clear and as regular as possible. They have got it all
in one tract, upon a large creek called Licking Creek, which falls into the
Ohio river on the southeast side, about 150 miles below the Scioto river
and about 60 miles above the mouth of the Kentucky river, so that it is clear
both of Henderson's and the Vandalia Company's claim. By all accounts,
it is equal to any land on this continent, being exceedingly rich and
level." {^Life of George Mason, \, 214.)
Of this Captain Hancock Lee, his grandson, John Hancock Lee,
wrote: " My grandfather was of a roving disposition and fond of adven-
ture. I have often heard him say he was the first white ^ man who ever
entered the present limits of Kentucky, where much of his early life was
spent in surveying and locating lands and in conflicts with the Indians, by
whom he was several times captured, and narrowly escaped death at the
stake. He has often told me that on his return from his first trip to that
state he met Boone on the Allegheny mountains, making his first trip, and
told him where he would find some venison that he had prepared and
secreted for use on his next trip. He was a warm friend of Boone's,
and was with him on many of his trips. Being a warm friend and of a
modest, retiring disposition, he would never dispute with him the honour
of being the first white man on that dark and bloody ground. I have been
told by some of his early companions that a more fearless man than my
IThis staterr.tat is evidently an error. It is not definitely kr.':iwn when the first white explorer entered
the preient limits of Kentucky. The first explorers, as well as the first settlers, were from Virginia, but
the dates of their explorations have not been clearly proven. It is said that a Col. Wood was in Ken-
tucVy as early as ir'54. The first authentic reports of an exploration are found in the manuscript journal
of Dr. Thomas Walker, who wai there in 1750. He was accompatiied by many Virginians, but Hancock
Lee would probably have been too young to have been of his party. One Lewis Evans issued an imperfect
map in 1752, which included portions of that state. Boone first visited Kentucky in 17^9, so he was a
comparatively late explorer; consequently, if Hancock Lee met him on his return from this trip, he was
ccrtiiinly not the first white man to enter Kentucky. The first actual attempt to foimd a settlement there
was made in 1774 by James H.irrod and a party of about forty persons. Hancock Lee's visit was proba-
bly prior to this date. It is certain, from land records and lawsuits, th.it Hancock Taylor and others of his
party did early survey and locate claims in that state. These clain>s were very easily located. Each
claimant was required to make his own survey, d-si^nating thereon the bounds of the land he had taken
up. This plan was the.n recorded and a warrant issued. So a surveyor cculd readily locate in a few hours
a tract of i s*>~> or more acrci, which he could sell or hold.
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'^•^ DITCHLEV LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 541
grandfather they never knew. The followini; anecdote of him will illus-
trate the indomitable character of his courage: During the war of 1812
his son Hancock belonged to a volunteer company from Fauquier, then
stationed at Hampton, under Gen'l Porterfield. My grandfather, then
upwards of So years of age, determined upon making him a visit ; so he
mounted his noble old horse, then in his twenty-third or fourth year, which
had borne him over the Allegheny on more than 20 trips to Kentucky,
and which was the first saddle horse I ever saw. After slow stages he
reached Hampton and was warmly received by his son and young friends
of the company. In a few days after his arrival he was aroused early one
morning and told that the enemy, whose ships had been lying in the
offing for several days, were about to make a landing, that our command
had determined to evacuate the town, and advised him to get up and go
with the army. This he determined not to do. As soon as he could dress
he went out, obtained a musket, and took a position near the water, behind
a row of buildings, from which place he continued to fire upon the enemy
all the time they were landing and until he was surrounded by a party,
who, seeing him alone, an old, feeble man, and not caring to shoot him,
called upon him to surrender. This he refused to do to a private, but said
if an officer would receive his weapon he would surrender. Upon an officer
stepping up he delivered up his weapon to him and was carried on board
the Admiral's (Cockburn) vessel and kept a prisoner. He was most kindly
treated, and when the fleet was about to sail he was sent ashore and his old
horse given back to him. He often said the horse had been ridden nearly
to death by the British officers. This story may seem Quixotic, but it is
literally true, as any old volunteer, who may be living, will confirm. Please
excuse my weakness in burdening you with this story. It is due to the
memory of one who was literally without fear and without reproach." (MS.
letter.) flancock Lee married Winifred Beale, who (his grandson stated)
was the daughter of John Beale, of Westmoreland,^ and had ten children.
Of these children very little is known, one not even by name; four others,
Arthur, Pamela, Mary Frances, and Anne, died unmarried. The others
were :
i, Willis \ See 12.
ii, Hancock; ^ See 13.
iii, Thomas '\ See 14. .
iv, E.mel!Ne\ married a Mr. Richards, and died without issue.
'She might have b«en a daughter of John Beale, of Richmond county, whose will (dated in December,
1766, and probated in .\ugust, 17^7) mentioned his wife, Eli/aheth, and daughters, Ann, Sarah, Winifred,
Euifc*ce, EUzjbfth, and Charlotte. (H.iyden, la. Cenea/i^git-s, -j^S.)
m
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542
LEE OF VIRGINIA. $ '^
V, Elizabeth*, married Captain Sangster, of Fauquier county, and died
recently without issue.
Major John Lee.
7. John*, the third son of Hancock Lee* (Hancock", Richard^) and
Mary Willis, his wife, was born , and died in 1802 ; he was married
about the iSth of December, 1781, to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Bell,
and Elizabeth Taylor, his wife, who was a granddaughter of Hancock Lee
and Sarah Allertou, his second wife. Their marriage bond, dated the i8th
of December, 1781, stated that " there is a marriage suddenly intended to
be solemnized between the above-bound John Lee and Elizabeth Bell,
spinster," and under the same date Thomas Bell gave permission for a
marriage license to be issued " to Major John Lee to be married to my
Daughter Elizabeth Bell." The records of Orange show that Major John
Lee sold his residence near the court-house and his lands in 1792, and
moved to Kentucky. In 1792, John Lee, Elizabeth Bell, his wife, and
Margaret Bell, " children of the late Thomas Bell, dec'd, of Orange," ap-
pointed James Bell, of Orange, their attorney to convey a tract of land to
William Norris, of Fauquier county.
John Lee was appointed an ensign in 1775; captain of the 2d state
regiment in 1777; major, ist February, 1778, and was in service until
1782. He received for his military services 5. 333 3 j acres of land.
Major John and Elizabeth (Bell) Lee had :
i, John FL\ncock.% married his cousin, Anne, daughter of Henry Lee;
no issue,
ii, Lewis*, married but left no issue.
iii, Sarah*, who married John Jordan Crittenden,' of Kentucky, and had
these six children : i, George Bibb, who was a graduate of West Point,
served in the Mexican War, resigned in i86r, entered the Southern
army, and rose to the rank of major-general, was state librarian after
the war, and died the 27th of November, iSSo, unmarried. 2, Ann
Mary, who married Chapman Coleman, a merchant of Louisville, and
at one time U. S. Marshal for Kentucky ; they had these children :
Florence (who married Patrick Joyce, a lawyer of Louisville"); Crit-
tenden ; Chapman (who was until recently chief secretary of the U. S.
1 John Jordan Crittenden was born in Woodford county, Ky., the loth of September. 1736, and died at
Frankfort, the jfth of July, 1S63. He held many distinguished offices uuder both state and national gov-
ernments ; was U. S. Senator from Kentucky, 1817-10, and again, 1835-41 ; was Attorney-General under
President Harrison, 1341 ; again Sc.nator, 1842-48; Governor of Kentucky, 134S-50 ; .\ttorney-General
under President ^Fillmore, 1850-53; again Senator, 1855-61, and lastly a Representative from Kentucky,
1861-63.
. i,'" 1 •■.■■:•■■ J 11
;vjl -'Hoi
DITCHLEV LINE, FOURTH GENERATION. 543
Legation at Berlin) ; Eugenie (who was educated in Germany, and has
translated some of Miss Muhlbach's novels) ; Judith (who married the
Hon. Charles Adams, at one time a member of Congress from New
York City), and Sarah Lee Coleman. 3, Cornelia, who married the
Rev. John C. Youn-, D-D., LL. D., a native of Pennsylvania, a
graduate of Princeton, and for many years pastor of various Presby-
terian Churches; in 1S30, he was elected the President of Centre Col-
lege, Danville, Ky., which position he held until his death in 1857 ;
his first wife was a daughter of Joseph Cabell Breckinridge ; his
• second, Cornelia Crittenden, by whom he had issue : Rev. John C.
Young. Jr., who was also a Presbyterian clergyman, and a brilliant
orator; Rev. William C. Young, also a Presbyterian clergyman, was
Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly at Portland, Ore., in
1892, and is now President of Centre College ; their other children
were : Eugenie, Zillah, Sarah Lee, and George C. Young. 4, Thomas
Leonidas Crittenden, who was commonwealth's attorney at Frankfort,
then aide to General Taylor at Buena Vista, next Consul at Liverpool
under Taylor and Fillmore, and lastly served in the U. S. army during
the late civil war, rising to the rank of major-general ; he married Catha-
rine Todd, and had Lieutenant John Crittenden, of the 20th Infantry,
who was killed by the Sioux Indians at Little Big Horn, the 25th of
June, 1S76. 5, Robert Henry Crittenden, who was twice married,
and left six children. 6, Sarah Lee Crittenden, who married Dr.
Edward H. Watson, of Frankfort, Ky., and had issue: Crittenden,
Captain U. S. X., George, Jane, and Annie Watson,
iv, M.\TiLDA A.^ was the third wife of Samuel McDowell Wallace, eldest
son of Judge Caleb and Prlscilla (Christian) Wallace; they had issue:
1, Thomas Henry, who married Frances Taylor, and had six children.
2, John Lee, who married Malvina Gillespie, and had several children.
3, Sarah Lee, is not married. 4, Andrew, died unmarried. 5. William
Christian, married Dora Taylor, has several children; lives in Florida.
6, Cornelia, married Samuel Redd, and has five children; lives near
Austin, Texa-s. 7, Mary Priscilla, married Charles Harvey, who died
in 18SS; she lives now at- Lexington, Ky., no issue. 8, Elizabeth
Lee, married James L. Searles, of Lexington, Ky., and had four
children. 9, Caleb McDowell Wallace, married Emma Fowler ; he
died in iSSS, leaving several children, who reside with their mother at
Ocala, Florida.
V, F;t.izabethS married Dr. Wilkinson, of Frankfort, Ky., no issue.
vi, LuctndaS married Dr. R. H. Call (a brother of Governor Call), who
t.^ t
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544 ' LEE OF VIRGINIA.
moved from Logan county, Ky., to Florida; they had two sons:
General George, C. S. A., killed at the battle of ''Seven Pines," and
the present U. S. Senator Wilkinson Call, of Florida.
vii, Anne*, who married Price. ^
Henry Lee.
8. Henry *, the fourth son of Hancock Lee * (Hancock ^ Richard ') and
Mary Willis, his wife, was married ^ and had five children. (A writer in the
(Richmond) Critic claims that this Henry Lee was the person of that name
who was born in Virginia in 175S, and died in Mason county, Ky., in 1846;
was a member of the Virginia Legislature, of the Virginia Convention of
178S, of the Kentucky Convention of 17S7, and Judge of the Circuit Court.
There was a •' Henry Lee of Virginia" who matriculated at the Middle
Temple, London, in 1773. -^^^^ Thomas AL Green writes that the father
of the Henry Lee of Kentucky was named Stephen.)
Henry Lee's children were:
i, Willis % who died unmarried.
ii, FIancock.^, never married.
iii, JOHN^, never married.
iv, (daughter) married a Mr. Davis.
V, Anne ^ who married her cousin, John Hancock Lee, no issue.
DITCHLEY LL\'E, FIFTH GENERATION.
George Lee.
9. George % the second son of Kendall Lee* (Richard ^. Hancock %
Richard') and Bett) Heale. his wife, was married on the i6th of February,
17S7, to Frances, daughter of Col. James Eall, by Lettice Lee, his third
wife, and had tliese children:
i, George*, the North'd records have the marriage bond of George Lee
and Mary Eduards, ^viuo^v, dated the Sth of October, 1804 ; they are
said to have had a daughter,
ii, Arthur®. See 15.
iii, Betty*, died unmarried.
iv, Frances*, married the Rev. Mr. Seward, of Richniond county.
V, Anna*, was married on, the 3d of September, 1829, to Col. Joseph
Ball, of " Ditchley ;" died without issue.
I Mo»t of the information concerning the children and grandchildren of Major John Lee was kindly
furnished by Mr. Tho'.nis Marshall Green, Danville, Ky.
■ The name of Henry Lee's wife is not known ; she may have been Elizabeth Burvell, eldest daughter
of the RcT. RicharJ Hewitt, of Hun^ars Parish, inJ E!i,:abcth ReaJ, his wife (/A', and M. College Quar-
tfrly, 11, 332,333 )
vJffiioC*
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f^'f;
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"•.:■■.■. :r ^ ; •
DITCHLEY LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 545
■ THE BALL FAMILY.
Arms: Argent, a lion passant sable, on a chief of the second three mullets of the first.
Crest: Out of the clouds, ppr., a demi-lion rampant sable, powdered with estoilles arg.,
holding a globe, or. Motto: Coelumque tueri.
As a very complete genealogy of the Ball family has recently been
published,^ only a bare outline is given here, merely to show the relation-
ship of the various members of this family who have married Lees.
William Ball, merchant and planter, who, tradition states, came to
Virginia about 1650, with a wife and three children, was the progenitor of
this large and influential family. In March. 1675-6, •'Coll. William Ball
and lieut. coll. John Carter, or either of them, in the county of Lancaster,"
were empowered by the Virginia Assembly to raise soldiers for defense
against the Indians. (II, Hening, 239.) At his death in 16S0, Col. Ball
left a widow and these three children : William, Joseph, and Hannah. The
eldest, Capt. William Ball, it is said, was three times married, and left a
large family. James, his third son, was also married three times, and was
the father of thirteen cliildren. His ninth child was Col. James Ball, of
"Bewdley," Lancaster, who was born the 31st of December, 1718, and
died the 24th of November, 17S9; he too was three times married; his
third wife was Lettice Lee, daughter of Richard Lee, of " Ditchley," and
Judith Steptoe, his wife; they had five children; the second was James
Ball, Jr. (1755-1S35), who purchased the '"Ditchley" estate from his
cousin William Lee, and settled there. His son. Col. Joseph Ball, was
twice married; secondly, in 1S29, to Anna Lee, daughter of George Lee,
and Frances Ball, as just stated, but had no issue. His son, James Flexmer
Ball, who was born at " Ditchley," the 30th of June, 1S16, and died at the
same place in October, 1S94, had been twice married, and left four sons,
several daughters and grandchildren to muuiii his loss. lY) iris son Horace
L, Ball many thanks are due for kind assistance in sending data. Mr. Ball
possessed the original deeds,* surveyor's plans, etc., for the "Ditchley"
estate.
Col. Joseph Ball, the second son of the immigrant, was born in
England, the 24th of May, 1649, and died at his estate, ■' Epping Forest,"
Lancaster county, in June, 171 1. Col. Jo5e]:)h Ball had by his second wife
one child, Mary Ball, justly famous as the mother of George Washington.
She was born in 1707-8, and died the 25th of August, 17S9 ; was married,
on the 6th of March, 1 730-1, to Augustine Washington. Her first child,
1 In the Virginia Gentixto^ies , by the Ker. Horace Edwin Hayden, Wilkesbarre, Pcnna., 1891.
* As given on pp. 521-23-33-34.
35
.vni' -.'■•'•^.^f:.' :!';■■.<< ;avri.' niHOTMl
i«x(
f'\: ''o •]-:\?.
546 I LEE OF VIRGINIA. ^47
George Washington, was "Born ye nth Day of February, 1731— 2 about
ten in the Mornin^^-, and was Tkiptiz'd the 5th of April foHowing, Messrs.
Beverly Whiting and Capt. Christopher Brooks godfathers and Mrs. Mildred
Gregory godmother." Capt. William Ball, of " Millenbeck," Lancaster, a
cousin of the above-r.ier.tioned Col. James Ball, married (1746-7) Lettice
Lee, daughter of Col. Henry Lee, of "Lee Plall," and Mary Bland, his
wife; their daughter }.Liry married a John Ball.
Klndali, Lee.
10. Kendall ^ th.e third son of Kendall Lee* (Richard*, Hancock',
Richard') and Betty Heale, his wife, was born at "Ditchley," the 30th
of July, 1763; died in Fluvanna county, the 9th of June, 1811; he was
twice married; first to Sarah, daughter of Col. John and Lucy (Churchill)
Gordon, who was borii the 21st of June, 1764, and died very shortly after
her marriage, without issue. ITc wi>s married secondly, on the 6th of De-
cember, 17SS, to Judith Burton, daughter of Col. George Payne, of Gooch-
land county ; she \\a= I^orn the rrth of September, 1769, and died the 2 9tb
of October, 1S50. In 1794, Richard Baylor Payne conveyed 314^2 acres
to Kendall Lee. of Goochland county; in 1S06, this tract was conveyed by
Kendall Lee and Juaith Burton Lee, h.is wife, to William Johnson, and was
then described as tlmt "tract of land generally known as Kendall Lee's
former residence." In the last conveyance Kendall Lee's residence was
stated to be then in Fluvanna comity.
Kendall and Judith Burton (Payne) Lee had the following-named
issue; names and dates from their family Bible :
i, George Kendall*, born in 17S9 ; died in 1859, without issue. Lived
in New Orlean?. v.h.ere he v.as for mony years cashier of a bank ; died
at Richmond, \'a.
ii, Thomas^. See 16.
iii, Richard Hentv ■, born in j^()? ; died in rSr6, without issue.
iv, Elizabeth Kendall^, born in 1794, and died in 1S63, without issue.
V, William*. See 17.
vi. Hancock.*. See iS.
vii, Virginia Pavnf ^ born in 1799; Ti'ii'ried, 1S22, Howell Lewis, and
had: Richard and Virginia Lewis.
Hancock Lee.
11. HA^■coc^:^ the fourth son of Kendall Lee* (Richard*, Hancock',
Richard^) and Betty Heale, his wife, married Sinah Ellen, daughter of
^ > >\ ■ 1.1.. ij-avi
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DITCHLEY LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 547
Col. Richard Chichester, of Fairfax county, and Sarah McCarty, his second
wife. The will of Sinah E. Lee, dated the 12th of July, 1851, and pro-
bated at Fairfax court-house, on the i8th of August, 185 1, named their
children in the following order :
i, Richard Kkxdall*.
ii, Beity*, residuary legatee and executrix.
iii, Sarah McCarty *, wife of James Wren, so stated in mother's will.
iv, Mary Kf,ndall*, wife of Sangster.
V, Ann McCarty ^ wife of John R. Ratcliffe ; issue: John R. Ratcliffe,
Ann Maria Coleman, Cora L. Ratcliffe, and Laura F. Ratcliffe.
vi, Catharine Ann ®, wife of George W. Wren.
vii, Sinah Ellen Chichester', wife of Fitzhugh.
viii, Dodridge C*.
ix, Hancock ^
X, WiLLIA.M L.®.
xi, Daniel C®, deceased, without issue.
Willis Lee.
12. Willis', the eldest son of Hancock Lee* (Hancock*, Hancock',
Richard \) and ^Vinifred Beale, his wife, married Mary Richards, and had
two children :
i, John PLancock.'. See 19.
ii, Mary Willis*^, who married Thomas Scott Ashton (1803-1873), of
Fauquier county, the sixth and youngest son of Major Lawrence
Ashton, and Elizabeth Scott, his wife, and had eleven children, whose
names have not been ascertained.
Hancock Lee.
13. Hancock *, the second son of Hancock Lee * (Hancock ', Hancock ',
Richard ^) and Winifred Beale, his wife, was born , and died the 2 2d
of July, 1S42 ; he was married, on the 12th of August, 1819, to Susan
Richards, a cousin of his brother's wife, and daughter of William Richards
and .\nne Blackwell, his wife; Mrs. Lee died the iSth of August, 1873,
having had nine children. Hancock Lee, though under age, served with
the Virginia troops in the war of i Si 2.
i, Anne®, born the loth of November, 1820, and died the iSth of Feb-
ruary, 1862 ; she was married, on the 3d of October, 1843, to
John Howison, of " Greenview," Fauquier county, and had seven
children : i, John Hancock, born the 4th of July, 1S44, and was so
i*'f
, ( }
548 LEE OF VIRGINIA. :
severely wounded at Gettysburg that he died on the i8th of July,
1863. 2, Edward Moore, born in June, 1845, and was also fatally
wounded in the late civil war, dying on the 24th of August, 1S64, at
Petersburg. 3, Hancock Lee, born the 13th of October, 1847 ; was
• ■ married on the i3ih of August, 1S74, to ^Margaret Ann, daughter of
George William Howison, of Prince William county, Va., and Mary
Eliza Humi)hreys, of Maple Springs, Texas; she was born the nth of
November, 1856, at Bogota, Texas, where they now reside, and have
issue : Robert Lee, Lucie n Lee, Helen Margaret, John William, Mary
Rebecca, and Sarah Ann Howison. 4, Helen McDonnell, born the
24th of October, 1850; was mar'ri(jd, on the 7th of April, 18S0, to
John W. Rinehart, and resides near Alaska, Mineral county, West
Va. ; they have these six children : Mary Buckner, Elijah, Llelen
Howison, Anne Lee, John Howison, and Marion Dunnington Rine-
hart. 5, Ludwell Lee, born the 5th of August, 1S51 ; was married, in
December, 1S77, to Annie Caroline, daughter of James A. Beckham
and Emma Brent Coons, his wife, both of Harper's Ferry, West Va. ,
and has two children: Ludv.ell Lee and William Llardy Howison ;
they reside at Socorro, New Mexico. 6, Neil McCoul, born the 7th
of August, 1S53, and married, on the 3cth of November, 18S1, INIary
Frances, daughter of W. P. Clatterbuck and Elizabeth LIumphreys,
his wife, and has five children living: Elizabeth Payne, Anne Lee,
Frances Virginia, William Clatterbuck, and Rebecca Reynolds Howi-
son. 7, Nannie McPhail, born the 13th of December, 1856, and
married, on the 9th of November, 1876, Patrick C. Waring, of Essex
county, Va.
ii, Frances®, born tlie r6th of March, 1S22, and married, on the 9th of
December, iS4t, Robert Willis, of Orange court-house, and had four
children : i, Robert, born the 9th of October, 1S43, and died unmar-
ried. 2, Jane, born in April, 1844, and also died unmarried. 3, Han-
cock Lee, born the ist of March, 1S46, and has been twice married;
first, to a Miss Louise Bull, and next, to a Miss Eckloff, and had issue :
Robert Lee, Maud L., and Fannie ALadison Willis. 4, George Willis,
born the 17th of March, 1S4S, and was living, recently, in New
Mexico, unmarried.
iii, Mary®, born the 30th of .\ugust, 1823, and died, unmarried, on the
20th of October, 1S60.
iv, Virginia®, born the 4th of December, 1824; has been twice married;
first, to Smith Rixey, on the 4th of June, 1S68, and next, to A. Rich-
ards, on the 21^1 of October, 1S77.
^ .'iO
■'- ./f.wrv;...Ii
DITCHLEV LINE, SIXTH GENEKATION. 549
V, LuDWELL®, bora the 6th of May.. 1S26, and died, unmarried, in 1S55.
vi, Susan'", born tl\e 6th of June, 1S30, and married Horace Dodd, of
Fauquier county, and has nine children.
vii, Louisa*, born the nth of September, 1832, and died unmarried.
viii, Thomas^, born the 10th of April, 1S34, and is unmarried.
ix, HiJVRY, FIancock^. See 20.
X, William', born the ist of August, 1840, and died the 19th of April,
1863.
Thomas Lee.
14. Thomas', the third son of Flancock Lee* (Hancock*, Hancock',
Richard') and Winifred Beale, his Avife, married Bell, of Louisville,
Ky. ; he removed to Missouri, and died there in i860. He had two
daughters :
i, Matild.a.^, who married Gaskins, and had two sons, who were
killed during the late war.
ii, Jane*; died unmarried.
DITCHLEY LINE, SIXTH GENERATION.
Arthur Lee.
15. Arthur*, the second son of George Lee* (Kendall*, Richard',
Hancock-, Richard^) and Frances Ball, his wife, married Sarah Hagge-
man, who died in 1SS3, and left issue:
i, William Kendall'. See 21.
ii, Arthur H.'', died unmarried in 1891.
iii, Mary ', married Locke.
iv, John II vg;;e.man ", died, wiiliout issue, in 1SS6; lived in Lancaster.
V, Jo-LIH Ball', died without issue.
vi, Georu.f '. See 22.
vii, JaiwEs Ball', died without issue.
viii, Ricn.ARD Henrv', died without issue.
Thomas Lee.
16. THOM.\s^ the second son of Kendall I-ee* (Kendall*, Richard',
Hancock*, Richard') and Judith Burton Payne, his second wife, was born
in 1791 and died in 1S49; he married, on the 15th of September, 1&16,
Mary Pearson, and removed to Kentucky. They had the following-named
issue ;
<.'^^:
.j»ilK
.1/
I Vi }/ u
ri
,[■•■
550
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
i, Elizabeth Kendall', born the 14th of August, 1820 ; died the 3d of
June, 1854; married, on the 7th of January, 1S40, William P. Hahn ;
no issue.
ii, George Thomas', born the 6th of January, 1S24; died the 5th of
October, 1827.
iii, Marv Virginia', born the loth of November, 1826; died the 26th
of April, 1S55 ; she married, the 14th of July, 1846, William B. Scott,
and had: i, Mary Florence, born the 7th of June, 1847; died the 4th
of January, 1SS9; married E. S. St. John; no issue. 2, Martha B.,
born the 7th of October, 1849; died in April, 1877; married John
Haines, and had Margaret Lee, who married Charles Starr. 3, Eliza-
beth K., born the 15th of July, 1S54; died the 28th of August, 1855.
iv, Judith', born the 27th of November, 1S28; married, 3d of Novem-
ber, 1846, John Gargan, and had: i, Mary. 2, William Thomas,
born the 14th of Ajiril, 1S52 ; died the 8th of August, 1S54. 3, John
H., born the ist of September, 1857; died the 25th of May, 1S75.
4, Virginia, born the 17th of September, 1857 ; married J. B. Keyser.
5, Eliza C. 6, Thomas Lee. 7, Benjamin F. S, Anna R. Gargan.
V, Richard Henry', born the nth of March, 1S31 ; died the 25th of
October, 1S61 ; served in Morgan's command, C. S. A., and was
killed while on service.
' William Lee.
17. William ^ the third son of Kendall Lee ^ (Kendall *, Richard',
Hancock ^ Richard^) and Judith Burton Payne, his second wife, was born
in 1795 and died in 1S74; he was twice married; first, on the nth of De-
cember, 1S33, to Eli;:a Wamack ; secondly, on the nth of November,
1840, to Hannah Saunders, and had two sons. Mr. Lee was a farmer in
Cumberland county.
i, William Thomas'. See 23.
ii, James Hancock', born tlie 2d of February, 1S44, ^^^ died the 30th of
March, 1865. Served in the Confederate army until discharged on
account of ill-health.
Hancock. Lee.
18. Hancock.*, the lourth son of Kendall Lee ' (Kendall*, Richard',
Hancock", Richard') and Judith Burton Payne, his second wife, was born
the 26th of July, 1797, and died the 5th of November, i860; he was
twice married; first, on the Sth of Jul\-, 1S24, to Mary, daughter of Dr.
James Henderson, of Manchester, Va., and Mary Ogleby, his wife; she was
.iv.'.r', .If ■•?
•..1/
DITCHLEY LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 55 I
born the 13th of March, 1S02. and died the 29th of March, 1844. Mr. Lee
married, secondly, on the t^ih of August, 1847, Martha Bickerton, daugh-
ter of Carter Henry Drew and Juliet Shore, his wife, of Richmond; she
was born the lyth of October, 1S18, and died the 26th of December,
1892. Mr. Lee resided at Richmond, where he had been for many years
the teller of the Farmers Bank of Virginia. He was highly esteemed by
all ; was a devoted member and elder in the Presbyterian Church. By his
first marriage he had ten children, only three of whom lived to maturity;
by his second he liad four children, only one of whom now survives.
i, M.\RY Hendef'.son^ born the 29th of October, 1S25 ; died the i8th
of September, 1S26.
ii, Virginia Payne \ born the i8th of June, 1S26; died the ist of
December, 1S39.
iii, Frances Elizabeth \ born the 2Sth of July, 1827 ; died the 27th of
Jane, 182S.
iv, James Kendall'. See 24.
V, Ellen", born the 13th of September, 1831 ; died the 17th of April,
1S41.
vi, William HANCOCK^ born the 7th of September, 1834; died the 29th
of April, 1835.
vii, Charlotte ', born the iiih of August, 1836; lives at Richmond,
viii, ^L\rgaret Henderson ', born the ist of May, 1S38; lives now at
Richmond. To whom many thanks are most gratefully rendered for
efficient assistance in gathering data for this record.
ix, Judith Burton', born the 2Sth of November, and died the ist of
December, 1S39.
X, Jane Barclay", born the 12th of September, 1S41 ; died the 25th of
August, 1S43.
xi, Juliet', born the 26th of November, 1853, and resides now at Rich-
mond,
xii, Mary Rutkkriord ', burn t'ne 3d of June, 1855; ^'^^ ^"^ nth of
June, 1S80; wa.s married, on the 25th of ^Lay, 1S79, to Robert Somer-
ville, no issue.
xiii, son, v.ho died an infant in 1857.
xiv, Carter Henry', born the Stli of January, and died the 8th of Feb-
ruary, 1859.
John Hancock Lee.
19. John Hancock ^ the only son of Willis Lee^ (Hancock*, Han-
cock', Hancock', Richard^) and Mary Richards, his wife, was born in
1..' (L ■; i/u.
v ''; ■:
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55* LEE OF VIRGINIA. .■;.•; ^<5
1805, died in October, 1S73, and was buried at "Montpelier" in Orange
county. Though born in I'auquier, Mr. Lee spent the greater part of his
life in Orange, which county he represented for many years in the Virginia
Assembly. He was educated at Princeton, and later studied law at the
University of Virginia. Being in attendance at the latter institution when
Lafayette made his visit there, he was chosen to welcome the distinguished
Frenchman on the part of the students. Mr. Lee was married three times;
first, when scarcely twenty-one years old, to his cousin^ Mary Willis, a
daughter of Dr. John Willis and Nellie Conway IMadison, his wife ; after
her death he married secondly, her cousin Fannie, a daughter of Lewis
Willis and Lucy Madison, his wife; for his third wife, he married Mary,
daughter of Sydney Jones, of Petersburg. He left five children :
i, L.ETiTL\\ who married Dr. Robert Madison, and had Lietitia, and
Mary who died young.
ii, Nellie Con\s av ', born in 1S26, and died in 1875.
iii, Lewis Herm.\n', born the 7th of March, 1S49; died the 30th of
July, 1S7S; married, on the 12th of October, 1S76, Georgia Garland,
daughter of the Rev. J. S. Hansborough, and had one daughter, Mary
Madison, born the 28th of March, 1S77, and resides with her mother
near Orange Court-house.
iv, Lizzie ^L•\DISON \ who m^arried William Albert Bragg, of Richmond,
and has three children : Hancock Lee, Elise Calvin, and Fannie Madi-
son Bragg.
V, Norma Overton \ who married John Brockenbrough Woodward.
Henry Hancock Lee.
20. Hexrv Hancock®, the third son of Hancock Lee ^ (Hancock *,
Hancock', Hancock', Richard ^) and Susan Richards, his -vvife, was born
the 26th of August, 1S37 ; was married, on the 14th of June, 1S60, to
Olivia Xutt, the daughter of Moncure Nutt and Ann Smith, his wife ; they
have ten children :
i, Henry I-L\ncock '. See 25.
ii, ANNIE^ born the i6th of October, 1S64; is unmarried.
iii, Robert Edward '. See 26.
iv, ^L■\Ry ', born the 20th of October, 1S67; is unmarried.
v, Lucy'', born the 15th of April, 1870; is unmarried.
> Mary Willis Lee, youngest child of Hancock Lee and Mary Willis, his wife, married Ambrose Madi-
son, and had a dau.'htcr, Nellie Coaway Madison, who married Dr. John Willis. (See 4, vii.)
r SI I ,71
DITCHLEY LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 553
vi, Olivia^. bo!;n the 3d of May, 1S72 ; is unmarried. •'. ••
vii, Frances \ born the 22d of February, 1874; is unmarried,
viii, Ludwell', born the 24lh of June, 1876. '' ' •
ix, Francis', born the ist of January, 1879. ^ 1 v-i.'
X, Alice ', born the Sih of March, 1S82. .'" . vf*'' '
DITCHLEY LINE, SEVExVTH GENERATION.
William Kendall Lee.
21. William Kendall'', the eldest son of Arthur Lee* (George*,
Kendall*, Richard*, Hancock-, Richard^) and Sarah Haggeman, his wife,
married a Miss Henderson, and had two sons:
i, William Henderson^, now living in Lancaster county.
ii, Arthur ^ also living in Lancaster county.
George Lee.
22. George', the fifth son of Arthur Lee' (George ^ Kendall*,
Richard ^ Hancock ^ Richard') married Ellen, daughter of William How-
son and Elvira (Henry) Clark, of Halifax county, and had four children :
i, Arthur®.
ii, William HowsoN Clark*.
iii, Ellen Bruce '.
iv, George Kendall'.
William Thomas Lee.
23. William Thomas', the eldest son of William Lee* (Kendall",
Kendall*, Richard ^ Hancock ^ Richard^) and Eliza Wamack, his first
wife, v.-ns born the 23d of October, 1S30, and died the 19th of June, 1865 ;
married on the nth of July, 1S60, Susan Blanton. He was a lieutenant in
the 44th Virginia Infantry, C. S. A. ; left one son, Elisha Kendall Lee', of
Farmville. Va.
Captain James Kendall Lee.
24. James Kendall', the eldest and only surviving son of Hancock
Lee* (Kendall % Kendall*, Richard', Hancock', Richard ') and Mary Hen-
derson, his first wife, was born at Richmond on the 31st of July, 1829, and
died on the 2d of August, 1S61, from the effects of a gunshot wound re-
ceived at the first battle of Manassas. After a preliminary course at the
private schools in his native city Mr. Lee entered Princeton and graduated,
receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then studied law, and began
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554 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
its practice at Richmond, and was succeeding', to a promising degree, when
the civil war broke out. Gov. Henry A. Wise appointed him first lieuten-
ant in the first Virginia regiment on ist of December, 1S59; on the
i6th of April, 1861, Gov. John Letcher appointed him captain in the same
regiment. The following notice of his death was published shortly after
his decease :
"Died, near Manassas Junction, .\ugust 2d, Captain James K. Lee, of
this city, from a wound received in the battle of Bull Run, July iSth.
•' Captain Lee is one of the many noble victims that will be demanded
by that cruel and wicked war which is now upon us. As soon as it became
evident that the war was inevitable he raised a company in connection with
the first regiment of this city, and whilst leading his men gallantly in the
severe engagement of July iSth was struck by a minie ball, which entered
his side just under the shoulder, and, passing through both lobes of the
lungs, came out a little below the heart on the other side, producing a
wound of the most dangerous character. From this wound he lingered
in great pain for a fortnight, evincing the utmost resignation, until he fell
asleep in Jesus.
" Captain Lee was a son of the late Hancock Lee, of this city, and in-
herited many of the amiable traits of his beloved father. He graduated
at Princeton College about fourteen years ago, and after studying law in
this city engaged in its practice with the most flattering hopes of success.
About five years ago he joined the First Presbyterian Church of this city,
and at once took his stand as an energetic working Christian. As a teacher
in the Sunday-school, as a member and officer of the Y. AL C. A., and
as a member of the church, he was busy and untiring in his Master's service.
In all three relations his place will be hard to fill. The death of his father
devolved on him much of the care of the surviving family, but he assumed
it with a loving promptness that could not be exceeded, and at once
began to discharge a father's duties to the little orphaned ones then left
fatherless. His inestimable in^portance to them would have justified him
in the eyes of many in remaining at home, but his heart was too noble to
disregard his country's call, and he responded at once, and fell gallantly
defending his native soil from rapine and murder. The vast crowd that
thronged to his funeral gave token of the place he held in the public heart
and the deep sense entertained by the whole city of the heroism of his
career. He now sleeps calmly beside his beloved father, but the memory of
his noble, Christian life and his grand, heroic death, we trust will raise up
many another young man to come forward and take the place which he has
vacated on earth, and prepare to stand beside him in Heaven."
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. .;. DITCHLEY LINE, SEVENTH GENERATION. 555
At a meeting of the Bar of the city of Richmond resolutions were
passed, in which it was '-Resolved, That the Bar of the city of Richmond
lament the loss of Capt. James K. Lee, owq of their brethren, whose legal
attainments, uprightness, and courtesy made him an ornament to the pro-
fession, while his personal virtues commanded the esteem and affection of
his associates. ..."
The two following letters were written by Captain Lee to his sisters,
then at Richmond; the first just before the battle and the other, by the
hand of a friend, after he had been wounded :
"Fairfax Court House, Va., 20th June, 1S61. My dear Sisters, Our
movements of late have been so uncertain, and my time so fully occupied,
that I have thought it best and have been obliged to suspend the writing of
letters, except on the most urgent business. I dropt you a line a few days
ago by Mr. John Hatcher, before I received your (Mag's) last letter.
Ever since, and even before that, we have been hearing of orders directing
us to return to Manassas Junction, and I thought I would wait until such
orders became definite before I wrote again, in order that I might give
you some assurance of seeing me in Richmond shortly. We have received
our orders to return there to-morrow ; but such is the nature of our posi-
tion that they may be countermanded before the sun rises; and I am sorry
I cannot yet state when it is probable I may get a leave of absence. I can-
not think of asking for it while we are here. . . .
" I wish I had time to tell you all about our sojourn here. The vil-
lage itself is in the midst of a beautiful country, and though many of the
inhabitants have deserted it, there remain enough, together with the officers
and men (the greater part of whom are very nice gentlemen) to make it
quite a sociable little place. I have visited but little, though the citizens
have been very polite and attentive to us all. I ran against a relation in
the street the other day, William Lee Edwards, Esqr., a resident lawyer,
who took me to his otiice and told me all about our family in this neigh-
borhood. The county fairly swarms with them. He and our father were
first cousins ; his mother was Priscilla Lee, sister to Kendall Lee, our grand-
father. Many of the Lees still live about here, but of course I have had no
opportunity to meet with them.
" A widow lady, named Ratcliffe, said to have two very pretty daughters,
and a resident here, is also a relation ; but neither she nor the pretty
cousins are here. The Sangsters, and tlie Fitzhughs of Alexandria, are also
related, I think he said. He told me a heap about them, and also about the
family still in Northumberland, none of which I ever expect to remember.
If the war ever ends I think I shall make a special trip in this direction, by
■n
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556
LEE OF VIRGINIA.
way of setting up the old genealogical tree again. What is curious, too,
there are a great many Paynes in this county, and some of them are related
or connected with the Lees.
"Several of the officers, including myself, have been boarding here at
a private boarding-house kept by a Mrs. Chapman. They are very pleas-
ant people, though I think she is a Northern lady ; her husband is a Vir-
ginian. All this section of the country is peopled with Yankees, and that
is one reason- why Lincoln has been so anxious to get a foothold here.
He expects to get aid and comfort from them. There is no doubt that all
the information received at Washington in reference to our forces about here
has been communicated by persons residing in the county, and some near the
village. The residents of the village itself are believed to be true to the
State. Certainly our landlady is, else why should she take such pleasure in
staffing us with waffles reeking in rich mountain butter, biscuits so light that
thev fly to your head if you but touch them, eggs fresh from the hen-
hou5e,'cold ham, veal, lamb, salt shad and herring, and the most delicious
coffee with cream, and plenty of rich, yellow milk to wash it all down ! Else
why does she, for dinner, cook so many chickens in so many ways, serve
up such nice lamb and bacon, provide so much nice lettuce, green peas,
potatoes, beets, eggs if you like, hot corn bread (breakfast biscuits, too),
ending either with gooseberry tarts, strawberries with cream (real cream),
or perhaps all three together ! Else why does she, at supper, bring out her
preserved ginger and watermelon and so insidiously insist on our taking
just another waffle or a glass of milk, and a few more of the strawberries !
Without doubt she must be loyal ! At least I can't believe otherwise until
some better reason can be given for her treating us so well than the paltry
compensation she receives t'rom us for committing such damages at her
table.
" I suppose yuu have heard about the battle at 'Vienna,' that took
place at a village of that name about 5 miles froui here last Monday ? . . .
Since t'acii thev have advanced by auolher road to within about 6 miles of
this place. I shouldn't be surprised if we had another skirmish shortly,
though no immediate or sudden attack is apprehended. Love to all. Kiss
Juliet and Mary tor me, also Lizzie and Lucy if they have returned, and
the darling Mildred (for taking such good care of you)."
Dictated to a comrade: '•' Colonel Ware's, near xManassas Junction,
Tuesday, July 23d. [1S61] Dear Mag. I have had many offers from my
friend- since I was wounded to write to you all for me, the saddest of which
was Edward Fontaine, who brought me a letter from you and promised to
r ' ?• '^rr.
DITCHLEY LINE. SE^TNTH GENERATION". 557
return the nex: day and answer it. But the morrow never came to him, as
I am informed. I avail myself now of the kind offer of Mr. Stiles, merely
to thank you. and, through you, all near and dear to ycu and to me for
their kind expressions of sympathy and aftection so many times made. I
have cons ilted Drs. Cullen and >[aary. our regimental surgeons, and also Dr.
Brody, of General Beauregard's start, as to the propriety of my proceeding at
once to Rich.Tiond. They unite in .• Jvising me to lie quiet a few days longer,
after which it will be safer to travel. My wounds are evidently healing, though
I am completely prostrated. Nly attendants are a member of my company,
who is a very good nurse, and my servant James, with whom I think I can
manage to get along pretty well. I have a large house, deserted by its
inmates, nearly all to myself. I have enough to do to think about myself.
the scenes of the past and the hopes of the future, not to be annoyed by the
calm solitude of my situation. Vou must try to imagine me quite comfort-
able. Do not be surprised to hear of my arrival any day. I am determined
to take possession of your room, which you will please vacate wichout any
further notice, and fit up in a handsome and comfortable style I Tell all
the girls, my cousins and the rest, I shall want to see them all as soon as I
arrive. They must be ready to talk to me, not expecting me to say a word
to them. Love to Ma and the children, to Charlotte, Uncle Mat, the
Grattans. Mabens. and all who have been kind enough to mention me."
Henry H.^ncock Lee.
25. Henry Hancock ^ the eldest son of Henry Hancock Lee' (Han-
cock *, Hancock *, Hancock *, Hancock *, Richard ^) and Olivia N'utt, his
v.-ife, was born on the 21st of June, 1S62 : was m.arried. on the 23d of
December, 1S91, to Maud, daughter of Henry Paine and Mary Taylor, his
wife, and has two daughters: Mary Olivia Lee*, born the ist of Tanuarv,
1S93, and Xorma Lee*, born the 2d of February, 1S94.
Robert Edward Lee.
26. Robert Edward ', the second son of Henry Hancock Lee' (Han-
cock*, Hancock*, Hancock', Hancock*. Richard^) and Oli\-ia N'utt, his
wife, was born the 15th of January. 1S66 ; married Meta, daughter of John
Shumate and Mary Weaver, his wife, and has one daughter, Marv Down-
man Lee', born the 2d of November, iSqj.
it"
55$ LEE OF VIRGINIA.
COBBS HALL LL\E, SECOND GENERATION.
1. CoLONKL RiCiiARD Lee's third son to leave male descendants in
Virginia was his youngest child, Charles Lee, of '' Cobbs Hall," whose
descendants have chiefly lived in the counties of Northumberland, Lancas-
ter, and Middlesex. Unfortunately the records of this branch of the family
are even more scanty than those of the Ditchley Line. Therefore these
sketches of its members are imperfect, incomplete, and very unsatisfactory.
But they are the best that can be done with the data at hand.
Captain Charles Lee.
2. Charles', the youngest child of Richard and Anna Lee, was prob-
ably born about 1656, and at " Cobbs Hall," where he lived, died, and was
buried— according to family tradition. He married Elizabeth, daughter of
Thomas Med^tand, of Lancaster county, who was a Justice for that county
in 1669, and died about 1675. They were probably married about 1676-
78, as his eldest son was of age at the date of his will, but the other children
were not. On the loth of May, 1692, Charles Lee and Mrs. Elizabeth
Lee witnessed the will of one Michael Griggs. They were certainly married
and settled in Northumberland prior to 1684, as proven by this deed:
This Indenture made the one and twentieth day of December in the thirty sixth year
of the reigne of o'or ."Sovereign Lord Charles the Second by the grace of God of England,
Scotland, France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c., and in the year of our Lord
One Thousand six Hundred and Eighty & four, Between Charles Lee of the County of
Northumberland in Virginia Gent, and Elizabeth his Wife, daughter and heir to one Thomas
•Medstand late of the County of Lancaster gentleman deceased, of the one part and Robert
Scholneld of the County of Lancaster planter of the other part, Witnesseth : That the said
Charles Lee and Elizabeth his wife for a good and valuable consideration to them in hand
paid by the said Robert Scholfield, the receipt whereof they doe hereby acknowledge ic,
... All that piece or parcel! of land situate lying and being in the parish of Christ Church
in the said County of Lancaster, Containing by estimation two hundred and three acres of
land bounded a5 follows. . . . Said land is part and parceil of land taken up by one Epafra-
ditus Lawson of a dividend of land Containing one thousand acres as by patent thereof bear-
ing date the two and twentieth day of May in the year of our Lord 1650, which patent was
assigned over to the said Thomas Medst.ind by one Robert Davis and Elizabeth hi.- Wife,
daughter of the sail Epafradilus Lawson, as by record in Lancaster Covmty hearing date the
sixth and twentieth day of September in the year of our Lord 1666, and since by the said
Med.-;tand owned in his own name as by patient bearing date the sl.\.th and twentieth day o'
September in the year of our Lx)rd 1668.
Charles Lee was a Justice for Northumberland in 1687-1699,^ and was
I a copy of his commission as a Justice ij given in ful! on p. 520.
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COBBS HALL LINE, SECOND GENERATION. '559
named in a list of civil officers, dated in 1702, showing him to have been in
commission at th.e time of his death.
As previously stated (page 53), Colonel Richard Lee had taken up two
tracts of land at the Dividing Creeks, in Northumberland ; the first of these
contained six hundred acres, and was the plantation later known as " Cobbs
Hall." The other tract contained eight hundred acres, two hundred of
which were given to Charles by his brother Richard Lee, as shown by the
deed given on page 521. No less than six deeds, with accompanying
patents, are on record at Northumberland court-house, securing these lands
to the two brothers. The following is the original patent for ''Cobbs Hall."
To all &c Whereas &c now Kno ^-e That I the said Edward Diggs Esq doe give and
grant unto Collo Richard Lee six hundred Acres of l,and Scituate in Northumberland
County and upon the South side of the Dividing Creek abutting East upon the said Creek
South East southerly upon another Parcell of Land belonging to the said Lee divided from
this by a small Creek Called Andrews Creek, South West Westerly upon the Glade and high
land North West northerly upon a run and small Creek Called ffreeraans ftbrd. The said
Land being d'le unto the said ColJo Richard Lee by and for the Transportation of Twelve
Persons into this Collony &c To Have and To Hold &c Yielding and paying Szc Which
payment &c dated the 4th of M.irch 1656.
Next after the patent, on the records, comes this brief deed :
I Richard Lee son and heir of Collo Richard Lee dec'd doe by these p'sents and out of
naturpll affection I heare Cozen [nephew] Charles Lee assign over all my Right and Title
and Interest to the Land contained in the Pattent on the other side to my Cozen Charles Lee
and his heirs f.>r Ever, In witness, etc. Dated 9th September, 1707-
His will was dated the 13th of July, 1700, and probated at Northum-
berland court-house, on the 17th of December, 1701.
I Charles Lee being in perfect health and strength of memory do make this my last Will
and Testament. First, I give and beque.ath my soul to that good and gracious God y' gave
it me and to my blessed redeemer Jesus Christ, assuredly trusting in and by his meritorious
death and Passion to receive Salvation, and my Body to be disposed of as my loving Wife
shall . . . [desire ?] not doubting but at the last both body and soul will be reunited and
gl. . . d,next I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas all ray Land on Rappaliannock River
side had by my wife as also 500 acres left me by Walter Jenkins, to him and his heirs male
forever, one feather bed and furtlicr a childs part of my negroes, Cattel and household stutT
and in case of his death without heirs, to be divided amongst ray other children, the Land to
my son Charles and tiie heir male of his body. Ne.xt, I gii-e and bequeath to my son Charles
the 6co acres whereon I now an\, a feather bed and furniture, a childs part of my negroes
and Cattel wth other household stulT, and in case of his death before age to be equally divided
among my other Children, the land to my son Thomas. Next, I give and bequeath to my
daughter Lee Hannah Lee that 200 acres of land had out of Bro. Hancock's tract.a childs
part of my negroes and cattle w'h other houshold stuff, the sheep of her mark, which is two
crops and a slit in one ear, ati.d in case of her death before age, to be divided amongst my
other Children, the land to my son Charles.
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S6o ■' LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Next, I give and bequeath to my daughter EIu : a childs part of my negroes and cattle
w* other hou-hold stuff, the half of my white serv» and in case of her death before age to be
equally divided among my other children. Lastly, I give and bequeath to my loveing Wife
all my bedding not set down and an equal part of my negroes and cattle and halfe of my
white hands wth a childs part of my other houshold stuff, my part of the mill and all my
sheep and hoggs, wliom I make Executrix of this my last Will and Testament, &c.
Die Jany 2iit 17 18. This Originall Will attested of Capt Charles Lee v/as presented to
ye Court by RJ Lee (& yc records where it was recorded being burnt) cV on the said Rd Lee's
motion it is again admitted to record. Teste, (signed) Rd Lee CI. Cur.
From this will it is learned that his wife survived him, and was duly
granted letters of administration. His children are named in the will, and
also in the deed of release (p. 523) by their uncle, Richard Lee. Charles,
the younger son, inherited the family homestead, which is stated to have
contained six hundred acres. Across Andrews' Creek and adjoining on the
south side of the '•' Ditchley " estate, were the two hundred acres, " had out
of Brother Hancock's tract," given to Leeanna Lee. She was mentioned as
"Leeanna Jones " by her uncle in 1707. On the surveyor's plat, made in
1 7 16, there is a " corner marked hicory by y<= end of William Jones plan-
tation." A little further to the southeast is given *' the corner marked
hickory in Capt. Morris Jones cornfield." Which of these two married
Leeanna Lee is uncertain, but the description of the boundaries of her 200
acres would indicate that her land was that marked on the surveyor's plat
as belonging to William Jones.
The children of Charles and Elizabeth (Medstand) Lee were :
i, Thom.^s *. See 3.
ii, Charles'. See 4.
iii, Leeanna', was under age in 1700, but was married in 1707 ; she proba-
bly married the William Jones mentioned above, and had issue (as given
in her daughter's will), a son and three daughters; one of the daugh-
ters, Leeanna, married her cousin, Charles Lee (7, q. v.) ; Ann mar-
ried Thoma-s Cottrell ; the third married Bell, and had two
sons, Charles and Thomas Bell. This Jones was probably of the Roger
Jones family, as they resided in this neighborhood. (See Jones Fam-
ily. P- 365-)
iv, Elizabeth ', of whom nothing is known ; but it is possible that she
married Capt. John Howsou. John and Elizabeth Howson both
died in 17 14, as their wills were ordered to be recorded that year,
and the ne.xt year an order was issued for the appraisement of their
estates. She made Charles Lee one of her executors. Their wills
cannot be found now.
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COBRS HALL LINE, THIRD GENERATION. 561
COBES HALL LINE, THIRD GENERATION.
Thomas Lee.
3. Thomas', the eldest son of Charles Lee' (Richard') and Elizabeth
Medstand. his v.-ife, was Lorn about 1679, he being the only child of age
in 1700; he died some time in the year 1735. A Mr. Thomas Lee was
Justice for Lancaster in 171 2 and Sheriff in 1714. His will, dated the
i6th of June, 1733, and probated the nth of June, 1735, ^•^'^s as follows:
In the name of God, Amen. I Thomas Lee bciiii,' in good health and Memory do
make and app-iiiU this my La^t will and testament, Impr^- I give and bequeath my soul to
God that gave it hoping in and through the Merrits of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ to receive remission of all my sins, my body to yf ground to have a Christian and
Decent burial. Item, 1 give my son \Ym. Lee all Land -.vhere Wm. Rankins and Richard
Weaver now live to him and the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten forever. Item, I give
unto my sons, Thomas, Richard, and Charles all that tract of Land whereon I now live to
be Equally Divided between th<-m and the heirs of their body Lawfully begotten for ever.
Item, I give and bequeath unto sou Juhn all thai tract of L.and on ye head of Corrotoman
River which I had by my wife whrre Harvey now lives to him and the heirs of his body
Lawfully begotten for ever Frovi.led the Child my wife goes with be not a boy which if it
be then my will is that the sd. Land be Equally Divided between them and the heirs of
their Bodys Lawfully begotten for ever. Item, I give and bequ-ath unto ray wife one fourth
part of my personal Est.ite during her natural Life or Widowhood but if she should Inter-
marry then to have but one Chihls part, also my will is that she have Liberty to dispose of
her said fourth part to such of her Children as she shall think proper at her decease pro-
vided she live unmarried. Item, my will is that my E>late be kept together until my chil-
dren come to Lawfutl age or marriage. Item, my will and Request is that my loving
Brother Major Charles Lee, my good friend Mr. Nicholas Martin and my loving Wife be Ex-
ecutors of this my Last Will and Testament and that my son William Lee, when he comes to
the age of one and twenty be allowed to be one of my Executors. Item, my will is that
my personal Esr.ate after my Wife's part is t.aken out be Equally Divided between all my
Children. Item, I give and bequeath unto my son William Lee my Phillip's English Dick-
onarv. Item, I do ordain and appoiiU th.is my Last Will :..r;d Tc-^tament, Revoking all former
Wills, .^cc.
The name of Thomas Lee's wife is not known. His children, all
minors in 1733, were named in his will and in that of his second son,
Thomas in i7:;S, with these exceptions: William, the eldest, and Richard,
the third sous, are omitted, and a daughter. Elizabeth, is added ; she must
have been born after the making of her father's will.
Thomas Tree's children, then, were:
i, William*; was not mentioned by his brother in 1758. The register
of old Christ Church, Lancaster, gives, "William, son of Thomas and
Ann Lee, dyed 13th January, 1735/' \\'l^t> might have been this W^il-
liam.
36
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562 LKE OF VIRGINIA.
ii, Thomas*. See 5.
iii, Richard*; probably died unmarried, as neither he nor any children
were mentioned in 1758 by his brother Thomas.
iv, Charles*. See 6.
V, John*; was mentioned by his brother in 175S, and was apparently
then unmarried.
vi, Elizabeth*; was mentioned by her brother in 1758 as "sister Eliza-
h»eth Dibrell," and /[40 was left to her eldest son. She was probably
born in the latter half of the year 1733 and died in 1770. She mar-
ried, it is said, Anthony Dibrell about 1755, and had four children;
Charles, Elizabeth, Judith, and .-Vnthony Dibrell. One of her de-
scendants, Charles Dibrell, was a general in the Coi;federate army. It
is a tradition in the families of Dibrell and Fearn that this Elizabeth
had a sister, Leeanna, who married John Fearn, of Buckingham
county, and has left a line of descendants. Unfortunately, no au-
thentic proof of this tradition has yet been discovered. The register
of old Christ Church, Lancaster, gives this: ''John ffearne of Glos-
ter and Mary Lee of this parish were married y* — of November,
16S7."
Major Charles Lee.
4. Charles \ the second son of Charles Lee' (Richard ') and Elizabeth
Medstand, his wife, was under age at the date of his father's will ; he died
in. I 740-1, as evidenced by the following certificate:
" Northumberb'ul SSt. By virtue of an order of Court, dated the i ith
day of May, 1741, ^N'e the subscribers met and appraised, divided and set
apart the Estate of Major Charles Lee dec'd. One half to Mrs. Elizabeth
Brent Guardian to Elizabeth Lee, Margaret Lee and Ann Lee. and the other
half to Mr. Charles Lee Ex'or of the dec'd Major Charles Lee. Witness our
hands 6th June, 1741."
Charles was mentioned by his elder brother, Thomas, as -'my loving
Brother ^Lljo^ Charles Lee," and appointed one of his executors. He was
probably the •' Captain Charles Lee " who was a church warden of Wyco-
mico Parish in 1732. {0/>/ CJiurclu-s, FainUicS, etc., II, 114.) The Lan-
caster records contain the original marriage bond, dated the Sth of Novem-
ber, 1 72 1, between Charles Lee and F>lizabeth Pinckard, which is signed by
Charles Lee and Thomas Pinckard. The signature on this bond seems
to be identical with that in the old family Bible, now in the possession
of Judge Edwin Broun, from which the names and dates of birth of these
children are taken. His wife had probably died prior to the division of his
estate in 1741, as no share of it was allotted to her.
''.id Mj^^f
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CORES HALL LINE, FOURTH OF.NKRATION. 563
i, Charlf.s*. See 7.
ii, ELiZAr.FiH*, born the 5d of April, 1724, and in July, 1742, she was
awarded her portion of her father's estate, being then described as
"Mrs. Eii/.:tbeth Lee orphan of Charles Lee Gent, dec'd." Her will,
dated the 13th of October, 1775, and probated in Northumberland, on
the i^tii of December, 17S4, mentioned her nephew, Charles Lee, and
his son, C'har]c< Lee, Jr.; also Jane Swan, Ann Taylor, niece, Charles
Leland, son o( John Leland, and Richard Evers 1-ee. Of the last men-
tioned no authentic data have been found ; it seems probable that he
was of this faniily, but no proof has been discovered.
iii, Margaret*, born the 9th of ]NLirch, 1726.
iv, Anx*, bcrn the 5th of March, 172S.
V, Lucy*, born the 14th of December, 1730.
vi, Judith*, borii the loth of March, 1732. Neither Judith nor Lucy are
mentioned in the division of their father's estate, or placed under the
guardianship of Mrs. Elizal)etli Brent in the above quoted order of the
court. The Northumberland records state that Mrs. Elizabeth Brent,
on the 9th, of March, 1746, was appointed a guardian of Judith and
Sally Lee, and on the 7th of September, 1747, she filed an account as
guardian for the same. No clue is given as to the parentage of these
two cliildrcn.
COBBS HALL LINE, FOURTH GENERATION.
. ' Thomas Lee.
5. THO^L\s*, the second son of Thomas Lee" (Charles ^ Richard') died
in 1759. I^Iis v/ill, dated the ist of December, 1758, and probated, in
Lancaster, on tlie i6th of March, 1759, gives all the information known
concerning him and his family : -
In the name of Goii, Amen. Deceniber the 1st, 175S. I Thomas Lee Colony of Vir-
ginia in the County of Lancaster and Parish of Christ Church being very sick and weak in
Body but of FoifeLt miiui and memory tiianks be to God for it however Calling to mind the
mortality of niv Undv and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and
ordain this my last. Wi'l and Testament, that is to «ay Principally and first of all I Recom-
mend my Soul into the hands of Goii that gave it, and my Diidy to the Earth to he decently
Intered at the discretion of my Ex'rs hereafter named, na doubting but at the General
Rosunection I shall Receive the same again by the Mighty Power of my ever blessed Re-
deemer and as to such worldly Estate as it hath Pleased God to bless me with in this Life
1 give and di-po-e of the same in manner and form following :
Imp'' M'u:T rny Just I Jebts and /uneral Charges are fully paid and Satisffyed then I give
and Be'jueath uiito my Daughter Mary Lee one negro b.jy named Dick that I had by my
. /.( ' r A.
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' /.'A .71
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564 LEE OF VIRGINIA.
Brother Richard Lee to her and the heirs of her Body for ever. Imprs I give and Bequeath
unto Brother John Lee on' ne'^ro '.vench named Cate that T had by my Brother Richard Lee
to him and the heirs of his Body kirever. And as I owe Richard Blade some money my
will and Desire is it shall he paid out of the money that Wm. Grigs owes me and the
remainder of the money derived from William Grigs I give and Bequeath to my Brother
John Lee to hiin and the heirs of his Body forever. Tmprs then I give and Bequeath unto
my two Children Mary Lee and George Lee to them and the heirs of their Bodys forever all
the rest and Residue of my Estate Both Real and Personal of what Nature and kind soever,
but in case my Children should die without heirs Lawfully Begotten of their Bodys then I
give and Bequeath to my Loving wife Lucy Lee all the Estate I had by her and the Increase
and one negro wench named Feby and likewise my Cheer and two horses and the Explana-
tion of the Testament, and in case of the death of my two Children Mary Lee and George Lee
without heirs Lawfully Begotten of there Bodys I give and Bequeath to my Brother Charle''
Lee all the Tract of Land.I now Live on to him ami his heirs forever. Impr^ I give and
Bequeath unto my Brother John Lee all the Land [1] have in White Chappie parish, to him
and his heirs forever in case my two Children Mary Lee and George Lee dies without heirs
Lawfully Begotten of their Bodys. Imprs I give and Bequeath unto my Brother Charles Lee
one negro fellow named Aaron in cn>e my Children dies without heirs Lawfully Begotten of
their Bodys. Impr^ I give and Bequeath unto my Loving wife Lucy Lee one half of my stock
and household furniture in case of the death of my Children without heirs Lawfully Begotten
of their Bodys, and in case of the death of my two Children Mary Lee and George Lee with-
out heirs Lawfully Begotten of their Bodys, I give and Bequeath all the Rest of my negroes
not before mentioned to my Brother John Lee to him and the heirs of his Body, and my will
and Desire is that my Brother John Lee may work the negroes he now has upon the Land I
now Live on as Long as he Live.- Single and have the proffits of them and in case of the
death of my two Children Map,' Lee and George Lee without heirs Lawfully Begotten of
their Bodys my will and desire is that my Estate he kept together till forty pounds Current
money of Virginia be Raised and that nmney T give and Bequeath to my .Sister Elizabeth
Debrell's Eldest son to him and his heirs Lawfully Begotten of his Body for ever and in case
he dies without such heirs then the forty pounds CuiTent money to be Equally Divided
Between my two Brothers Charles Lee and John Lee. Item, I do hereby Nominate Con-
stitute and appoint my Loving wife Luce Lee E.x'r'x as Long as she Lives a widow and no
longer, also Charles Lee Eppa Lawson and George Currell Ex'rs to this my Last will and
Testament, &c., &c.
The i.'^sue of Thoma.s and Lucy Lee were :
i, M.^RV\
ii, George \
Ch.^rles Lee.
6. Ch-\rles *, the fourth son of Thomas Lee ^ (Charles', Richard')
died in the spring of 1792. In his will he mentioned his wife, Joannah,
and some negroes that she had inherited under the will of ^\'illiam Morgan,
dec'd. She was probably his daughter. They were married on the 7th
of ^Lly, 1753.
His will, dated in i 791, and probated in Lancaster the 19th of March,
1792, was as follows:
-.M I
; -i. li':> .r>
,'' ■,:.;, ',,...
COUK-S HALL LINE, FOURTH GENERA HON. 565
In the n:mie of God Amen, I Charles Lee of the pari-h of Christ Church and County
of Lancaster, being in Perfect sen^e and memory do make and publish this my last will and
testament in manner and Form lullouin^j that is to say. Imj^rimis I resign my soul to God
who gave it me and my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my
Executors li-ireafter named, and my WDrldly estate I dispose of in the following manner^
Item I give to my beloved wife Joannah Lee during her life all my Land lying on the
north side the bridge brancli with all my houses, orchards, stocks of all kinds, household and
kitchen furniture, plantation iittii.^ils and ray stills, casks^ and tubs. Item I give and be-
queath all the remaining part of my Land lying on the south side of the bridge branch,
and after the death of my said wife Joannah Lee the whole of my Land to my son Thomas
Lee, provided he complies with certain conditions hereafter mentioned, to him and his
Heirs forever, but in case he shall not comply with the said conditions then I give and be-
queath the same as hereafter mentioned. I also give to my said son Thomas Lee after the
death of my said wife, my stills, casks, tubs, my large looking glass and Phi!ips"s Dictionary.
Item I give and bequeath to my son Richard Lee one negro man named x\nthony, one
negroe boy named Charles, one negroe man named Billy, and one negroe woman named
Frank and her Future Increase, to him and his Heirs forever. Item I lend to my Daughter
Elizabeth Peale during her natural lite one negroe boy Spencer, and after her death to be
equally divided between her clnldren Charles and John Beale. Item I give and bequeath
to my said daughter Elizabeth Beale after the death of my said wife two cows and calves
the fust choice and the bed and table ^he has now in her possession. Item I give and be-
queath to my grandsons Charles and John Beale one negroe boy David, one negroe boy
Hdlander and negroe Gate and her future Increase to be equally divided between Charles
and John Beale and if either Charles or John Beale should die before they arrive to the age
of twenty one years the share of the one so dying to the survivor, and if the said Charles
and John should both die betore they attain the age of twenty one years, then I give and
bequeath the said negroes and Increase to my son Thomas Lee and his Heirs forever.
Item 1 give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Lee one negroe boy named Billy to her
and her heirs. Item I give and bequeath to my Daugliter Ann Lee one negroe Girl named
Jenny and her Future Increase to her and her heirs. Item I give and bequeath all the
remaining part of my negroes (and after the death of my said wife) all my household and
kitchen furniture and stocks of all kinds not hereinafter bequeathed to be equally divided
between my tv,-o Daughters Sarah au'l .\nn Leo. Item It is my will and desire that after
the death o! my said wife Joann.-.h Lee all the negroes tliat she holds un'ler the last will
and testament of William Morgan I)ccJ be e<]ually divided between my children Thomas
Lee, Richard Lee, Elizabeth Beale, Sarah Lee, and Aim Lee and if my ^aidson Tiiomas Lee
shall not consent to have the said negroes so 'livided among all my said children. 'I'hen and
in that case I give and bequeath all my lands to my son Richard Lee and his heirs forever
and revoke and annul the conditional beque»t herein before made thereof to my said son
Tl'.omas Lee. Item It is my will that my estate shall not lie Inventoried or appraised. And
Lastly I i:oniinate constitute and appoint my loving wife Joannah Lee and my sons Thomas
Lee and Richard Lee Execvuors of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all
former \ViIls by me made. In witne-s, etc.
[Codicil]. Item, It is my de-ire that the two negroes that I have given to my son Rich-
ard Lee in the within will, to wit, William and Anthony, shall remain the property of my
loving wife Joannah Lee diu-ing her natural lite and then to go to my son Richard Lee as
within <:i\en.
■■^?
I V. ■•: . -m-jH
LEF, OF VIRGINIA.
The children of Charles and Joannah (Morgan) Lee were:
i, Thomas \ See S.
ii, Richard^, probably married Lucy Drur), iSth September, 17S3,
(Lanca-ter records.) In 17S8 a Richard and Lucy Lee executed a
deed to William Walker. (Northumberland records.)
iii, Elizabeth \ married, 5th March, 1771, John Eustace Beale ; her father
named in his will two grandsons: Charles and John Beale.
iv, Sarah ^. .
V, Ann ^.
Beale : Thomas Beale, of Richmond county, in his will (dated 20th
February, 1728; probated 4th June, 1729) mentioned sons : Thomas, Wil-
liam, Taverner, Charles, Richard, Reuben, and John ; daughters : Ann
and Elizabeth, also wife Elizabeth, whose will (dated 17th May, 172S;
probated 6th June, 1729) named same children.
Charles Beale, of Richmond county, in hfs will (dated 2d May, 1760;
probated 1st October, 1764) mentioned his wife, son Charles, nephew
Thomas Beale; nieces, Susanna Beale, Ann Hamilton, John Eustace, and
Charles, son of brother Taverner Beale; brother Richard Beale; nephews
Thomas Beale and Austin Brockenbrough. Ex'rs.
William Beale, of Richmond county, in his will (dated 9th March,
1776; probated 6th July, 1776) mentioned sons William, Thomas, Reu-
ben, Richard, Robert, daughter Susanna, and ^h. William Ball, who married
daughter Ann Beale. (Hayden, Fa. Gtritalogies, 73S.)
A Beale married a daughter of William and Anna (Lee ^-Armistead)
Eustace. They may have been the parents of this John Eustace Beale.
Charles Lee.
7. Charles*, the eldest son of Chark-s Lee' (Charles', Richard^)
and Elizabeth Pinckard, his wife, was born at " Cobbs Hall" the 2d of
November, 1722, and died there about October of 1747. He was twice
married, each time to a cousin ; his first wife was Mary, daughter of Rich-
ard and Judith (Steptoe) Lee, of " Ditchley," who died at the birth of her
son, Charles, on the 4th of March, i 744. (These dates are from his family
Bible, now in the possession of Judge Edwin Bromi, of Northumberland.)
Charles Lee married, secondly, Leeanna, daughter of William (?) and Lee-
anna (Lee) Jones. (See i, iii.)
In his will (dated the 30th of December, 1746, and probated the 9th
of November, 1747) he named his wife, " Leeannah Lee," his two sons,
Chailes and Thomas, both minors, and •* the child my wife now goes with."
Peter Conway, David Galloway and Kendall Lee were appointed his execu-
Af.^. . i^tV^l A : ■} .'^l-l; .""■) 1
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COBUS HALI. LINi:, FOlRTH GENERATION. 567
tors; an appraisement of his estate was ordered the same day his will
was admitted to i^robate.
The will of Leeanna Lee, his second wife, dated the 24th of June and
probatt:d the loth of August, 1761, was as follows:
111 the name of GoJ, .\me::. I Leeanna Lee of the parish of Wicomico and County
of Northumberland being weak of body but of a sound mind purfect seuce and memory and
calling to remembrance the uncertainty of Life and that it is appointed for all Men once to
die, Do make and ordain thi-, to be my last Will and Testament in manner and form follow-
ing. I give an 1 b-jqueath unto my beloved sifter .Vnn Coltrell my Negro Girl Sally. Also
I give to my Nephue (Charles lones my Negro (Jiil Rachel. Also I give to my Nephew
James Bell the sura of one hundred pounds cm-rent money to be paid to him at the e.vpira-
tion of one year after nw decease. .\;50 I give to Samuel Heath Jameson when he arrives
at the age of Twenty One years the sum of IVighty Founds current money, but it is my Will
and desire that incase he ihe s' .Samuel Heath Jameson shou'd die before he attains that
age, or should by any means Recover the land v.'uich now belongs to my said Nephew Charles
Jones, that the said Samuel Heath Jameson should not have the said Legacy of Eighty
Pounds. All the rest of my Estate of any D.?noir.; nation whatsoever I give equally to be
divided between my Nep'^e^vs Charles Dell Cliailc-, Jones and my loving sister Ann Cot-
trell excepting one good Feather Bed and Furniture which I give to my son in law [step
son] Charles Lee. The shove mentioned Charles Bell Charles Jones and Ann Cottrell pay-
ing my Debts Legaces and F"uneral E.Kpences. My will and desire is that Tiiomas Cottrell
Husband to ray sister Ann Cottrell shall never have any of the eft'ects that I have given her,
and if the Law shou'd by any means whatsoever give it to him that then it shou'd Return to
Mr. David Boyd (Attorney at Law) for the use of my said sister Ann Cottrell and after the
death of my said sister tliat all that I have given her return to her son William Nelms and
if in case he shou'd die without a Lawful H^'ir that then the said effects return to my said
Nephews Charles Bell and Charles Jones or their Lawful! Heirs. I hereby order and it is
my will that the said Charles Bell Charles Jones and Ann Cottrell shall gett a Tombstone
with a proper inscription thereon of the value of Ten Pounds and put the same over the
Grave of my late son Thomas Lee. And I also order and it is my Will that the said Charles
Bell Charles [ones and Ann Cottrell shall after my desease — procure to be built a proper
Brick wall round the Burying place of myself and ancestors on this plantation where I now
live in case my son in Law Char'es Lee will j]ernut the same and allow the Bricks to be
made and wood to burn them o!f the sai 1 plantation. 1 do hereby appoint anrl ordain the
said Charles Bell Charles Jones and James Bell to be the Executors of this my Will, etc.
Mourning rings to the value of oi\ii Pistole eaoli to my Nepliew 'I'homas Bell, my Nease
Mary Burn'ey and to my Cousin Margret Boy'd.
A|iparentiy, Charles Lee had twtj children by each wife, as follows:
i, AxN'% "the daughter of Charles and Mary Lee, was burn y= 24th
June, 1742."
ii, CttARLE.s^. See 9.
iii, Thomas*, was the son by the second wife, and was probably born
about I 745 ; he died before the date of his mother's will, 24th of June,
1 761.
iv, , born after the date of his father's will, 30th December, 1746;
as the second wife left no surviviiig child, he probably died \oung.
;):., '-i Inx-y.
■*V.^ I
hfi. .i
56S LEE OF VIRGINIA.
COBBS HALL LINE, FIFTH GEXERATIOX.
Thomas Lee.
8. Thomas ^ the only son of Charles Lee* (Charles ^ Charles ^ Rich-
ard ') and [oannah Morgan, his wife, is said to have married and left a son,
Thomas*, who was born in 1795 and died in 1S51 ; was married, in 181 8,
to Margaret Ormond. and had five children : James Ormond, Elizabeth,
Ann, Elizabeth Ormond, and Sarah Ann Lee ^
• '- Colonel Charles Lee.
9. Charles ^ the only son of Charles Lee* (Charles ^ Charles'", Rich-
ard*) and Mary Lee, his first wife, was born "ye 4th March, 1744, at
Cobbs Hall," Northumberland; he died about March of the year 1785.
His will, dated the 17th of February and probated the i2th,of April, 1785,
mentioned only his wife, "■ Sarah Lee," son Charles, and *' all the rest of
my children." Their Christian names were given by their elder brother,
Charles, in his will and by their own wills. Charles Lee left " the manor
plantation" to his wife daring her life and made provision for the educa-
tion of his children ; after her death the plantation was to go to son
Charles. The widow was evidently living there in 1789, as the place was
marked that year on the sra-veyor's jjlat as '' Mrs. Lee's Land." Charles
Lee was a vestryman of Wycomico Parish in 1772 (6>A/ Churches, Fam-
ilies, etc., n, 469); Sheriff for Northumberland in 1783, as shown by his
bond now on file, and a delegate to the .\ssembly (^Critic) in i 7S0. He
was the "Captain Charles Lee" who served on the court-martial (i6th
February, 1781) presided over by Col. Thomas Gaskins. It seems proba-
ble that he was also the naval officer for the South Potomac who signed
clearance papers the 24th of March, 1777, which ofticc has been previously
ascribed to Charles Lee (Stratford Line, 36), of Alexandria.'
He married Sarah Hull (1747-1S27), whose will, dated the 2d of June,
1823, mentioned daughter Molly McDaniel, Edwin Lee, son, and "Edwin
Lee son of aforementioned Edwin Lee;" Thomas Broun, son-in-law;
Sarah E. Broun, granddaughter; Sarah E. Lee (daughter of Kendall),
granddaughter.
The issue of Charles and Sarah (Hull) Lee were :
i, Charles'^, who married,' but apparently had wo issue. The marriage
I The statement on p.ige xCi, that this office had been heU by the other Charles Lee, was based upon
a comparison of his weil known writing, as given in many letters, with the writing on this clearance paper.
But a closer scrutiny and a comparison of dates has led to the conclusion that the previous statement
was an error. . . . .
'\ '.;■ M }
.'?..) .' ' O 1
COBliS HALL LINE, FIFTH GENERATION. 569
bond of Charles Lee and Elizabeth Edwards, spinster, of 20th Octo-
ber, 1792, was probal)ly ais. His will, dated — December, 1794, and
probated the 14th of April, 1795. mentioned his mother, Sarah ; broth-
ers Richard, Edwin, and John; sisters Judith, "not yet sixteen," and
Mary Lee. His wife survived liiin, as shown by the following deed :
In a deed from Richard Lee. of Northumberland to Kendall Lee
of same county, dated 3d Marcli, 1795, ''^ ^""'^^ stated that ''Whereas
Charles Lee dec'd, did by his last will, bearing date 1794, give and
devise to the said Richard Lee all that tract or parcell of land on
which he resided at the time of his death, and which was devised to
him by the last will and testament of Col. Charles Lee dec'd con-
taining 500 acres more or less, which said tract of land the said Richard
was to take possession of upon the deaih or marriage of the widow of the
said Charles Lee and upon the death of Mrs. Sarah Lee, the widow of
. the late Col. Charles Lee dec'd, and whereas by another clause in
the said will it was conditioned that the said Richard immediately upon
his entry and enjoyment of the said land should pay to his brother
Edwin Lee the sum of ^4^ioo. Now this Indenture witnesseth that the
said Richard Lee for and in consideration that the said Kendall do
and shall pay unto the said Edwin Lee the aforesaid sum of ;£ioo
at such time as the said Richard would have to pay the same and also
for and in consideration of the natural love and affection which the
said Richard bears tovrards the said Kendall as well as for divers other
good causes and considerations, hath given granted, &c."
ii, Sarah ^ died unmarried in 1S13; her will mentioned Sarah Lee her
mother; Martha Kendall Lee, Sarah Elizabeth Broun, and Elizabeth
Hudnall Lee, nieces.
iii, Richard ^ See 10.
iv, Kendall®. See 11.
V, John®, moved South, married and had issue; names, etc., not known,
vi, Edwin ®, settled near Norfolk, married and had, at least one son,
Edwin Lee', who was nauK-d in the \sill of his grandmother, Mrs.
Sarah Lee, of date of 2d June, 1823.
vii, ELiZAiiEiH®, born 12th November, 1779; died loth March, 1S39;
was married, on 29th of October, 1S07, to Thomas Broun, of North-
umberland ; they had isi^ue ; Judith, Judge Edwin (living in Northum-
berland), Dr. Charles Lee (died in 1S55), Sarah Elizabeth, and William
Broun.
viii, Juijith ®, married — ^ — Dismuke ; lived in Kentucky.
i.x, Mary*; her uiother's will mentioned '• Molly McDaniel, Daughter."
.^z
i .:. -IM.IWJ
I : i"! ■
57© LEE OF VIRGINIA.
COBBS HALL LINE, SLXTH CxEXERATION. ''
Richard Lee.
10. Richard*, the second sou of Charles Lee ^ (Charles*, Charles',
Charles', Richard ') and Sarah Hull, his wife, died the loth of March, 1824,
aged 56 ; on the 21st of March, 1795, he in^niie'd Elizabeth, daughter of
Thonaas Hurst, whom he Tiientioned in his will, dated loth October, 1S22;
also mentioned Martha Lee, his grandchild and " sons and daughters," with-
out naming them. The issue oi Richard and Elizabeth (Hurst) Lee were:
i, Sarah ^ died unmarried.
ii, Charles', married Hurst; died 26th of January, 1S22 (^Critic)
and left no issue.
iii, Jane", died unmarried ; was buried at '■ Cobbs Hall."
iv, ^LARTHA^ born the 26th of .\pril, 1S03; died the 6th of January,
1S7S ; w;is married on the Slh of January, 1S33, to Lewis G. Harvey
and had two sons: A\'illiam Henry Harvey, who died in early infancy;
Richard L. Harvey, who was twice married; first, to LucyE. Edwards,
of \Vestmoreland county, by whom he had two children, who died
young. He married secondly, Susan Perkins, daughter of Judge R. S.
G. Perkins of Vazoo county. Miss., by whom he had: Lewis, Robert,
Charles Lee. Warner Hurst, Julia, Estelle, Susan Perkins, and Mary
Grayson Harvey. Martha (Lee) Harvey devised "Cobbs Hall"
to her grandsons, after the death of their mother ; they are therefore
the heirs to the old Lee homestead, wliere they nosv reside.
V, Marv", married her cousin Edwin Lee; no issue. (See 11, viii.)
vi, Susan", married ^Villiam Harvey, in 1S25.
vii, Elizareth' (Betsy), married HughletL ; no issue.
Ke:>'dall Lee.
11. Kendall*, the third son of Charles Lee ^ (Charles*, Charles ^
Charles', Richard ') and Sarali ILill, his wife, died in 1815; he married
Mary Xutt, "Spinster," the 4th of .-Vugust. 1796; his will, dated 30th
March, aiid probated 9tli ( )ctober, 1815, mentioned his -'wife and chil-
dren," with.out naming thcn\ ; letters of administration were granted his
wite Mary. In 1S39 Ed'.vin Lee deeded to George G. Lee all his right in
the lands oi Kendall Lee, dec'd, which accrued to him under the will of
Mary Lee, mother of said Edwin. In same \ ear. John L. Lee, Martha
K. Lee, William H. Lee, Kendall Lee, Mary L. Lee, Sarah \i. Lee, and
George G. Lee executed a deed to Lewis G. Harvey, in which it was stated
that their parents were Kendall Lee and .Mary .\utt, his wife. Their issue
were :
■».■; ' 'lAJ^ki-;.' H
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V .71
COBES HALL LINE, SIXTH GENERATION. 571 " O ^7 ^^
i, Mary Leland\ died unmarried; her will, dated nth October, 1S41,
probated, Xorthumberland, on the 20th June, 1842, mentioned sister
Sarah Elizabeth Lee, brother George G. Lee; nieces Mary Lee Ball
and ^^ary Jane Lee.
ii, Sarah Elizafieth', married Garlington ; no issue.
iii, Martha Kendall", married, on 13th November, 1S19, Col. Joseph
Ball, bein- his fourth wife ; she survived him and moved, about 1S30,
to Missouri. They had : Thomas Kendall, William Henry Lee, James
W. W., Mary Lee, David, Bruce, Josephine, Virginia Ball. Of these,
Thomas Kendall Ball married Martha Gunn, but left no issue. William
Henry Ball married Mary Harris, and lives in Randolph county. Mo.
James W. W. Ball married Sallie E. Hull, lives at Carrollton, Mo.
Mary Ball married John P. Horner, of Boone county, Mo. David
Ball married Lucy Austin and has Henry Lee, Robert E., Lucy, and
Jessie Ball. Bruce Ball was killed during the late war, at the battle of
''Pea Ridge;" he was not married. Jose^jhine Ball married Judge
John Hull; no issue.
iv, George G. ', married twice; first Carpenter; secondly,
Sprigg ; two children by each marriage ; George and Leroy, by the
first; Ann and Henry, by the second, hi 1S39 George G. Lee and
Winifred Lee, his wife, signed a deed.
V, John L. ', married in 1S34 Elizabeth Ball, and had : i, Mary Jane Lee ;
born 7th of August, 1S35 ; married twice ; first, 29th of April, 1856,
Joseph W. Brent, C. S. A., who died in camp on 2 2d of July, 1S61,
leaving George W. Brent (1S60-1S7S). She married, secondly, in
1S76, Walter Shay, C. S. A., of- Saratoga," Lancaster county. 2, Sally
Ann Lee, born the Sth of March, 1S3S; married, 29th April, 1S57,
John D. Kemm, C. S. A., and had: i, Betty Alice, born 25th May,
1858. ii, William Everett, born Sth July, i860, iii, .\nnie Irene,
born 1 2th September, 1S64. iv, Virgil Lee, born loth July, 1869.
V, David E. Ball, born 4th November, 1S71. vi, Florence O., born
22d September, 1877. 3, Richardette Lee. (Hayden, Va. Genealo-
gies, 68.)
vi, William Henry', married Henrietta R. S. Ball, daughter of Rev.
David Ball, Rector of All Hallows Parish, Worcester county, Md.,and
Mrs. Sarah Eustace McAdams his wife; they lived in Chariton county.
Mo.; left i^sue: David Ball Lee, John Edward Lee, and many others.
vii, Edwin \ married his cousin, ^Lary Lee, daughter of Richard and
Elizabeth (Hurst) I-ee*"; no issue. In a deed of trust (1830), Edwin
Lee mentioned his wife. Mary Lee, as a daughter of Richard Lee, and
his own lather as Kendall Lee. (Xorthumberland Fvccords.)
I ,
/T
• •;.". ..'■v
APPENDIX.
Some very interesting information, received too late for arrangement
in its proper place, is given here, rather than have it omitted altogether.
Fendall — The records given of the marriages between the Fendalls
and the Lees has already been stated to be rather problematical (see pp. 99
and 151). The following notices of marriages and deaths, kindly furnislied
by Miss Kate Mason Rowland, of Baltimore, entirely .changes previous
statements. It was supposed (p. 99) that Eleanor Lee married P. R.
Fendall, which the following shows to be an error:
On Sunday the ::2d Instant, in the 49th yer.r of her Age, after a short TUnefs, died ?.Irs.
Eleanor Fendall, Wife to Benjamin Fendall, Esq : of Charles county. She was a Lady most
justly and universally esteemed for ever)' good Quality that could adorn or endear her char-
acter; exeniplarily pious and charitable, without show or ostentation in the least; the lov-
ingest Wife, the tenderest and most affectionate Mother. Not only her Family, and
especially her Husband, are most disconsolate for her extraordinary Loss; but all in her
Neighbourhood, or of her Acquaintance, are greatly affected by her departure. (Md.
Gaze^/g, 26 April, iyS9-)
Mr. Fendall probably had children by this wife, for, with the following
obituary notice of his second, mention was made of her being a " mother-in-
law."
Fiscataway, I September, 1 763. On the 25th of .\ugust last, Mr;. Pri,-.cilla Fendail
(wife of Benjamin Fendall, Esq.) of Charles county departed this Life aged 49 years.
(Md. Gazette, 1 5 September, 1763.)
Grace, the wife of Richard Lee, in her will (p. 150), appointed her
"son in law Philip Richard Fendall " one of her e.xecutor.'^. But no men-
tion was made of his wife or any Fendall children; in light of the informa-
tion then at hand, it was suggested that son in law probably meant brother
in law (p. 151), but this was an erroneous supposition, a.s shown by the
following marriage notice :
On Sunday last [i.e., 30th September] Mr. Philip Richard Fendall, Clerk of Charles
County, was married to Miss Sarah Lattice Lee, elde.U daughter to the Honorable Richard
Lee Esq., Naval OiFxer of North Potowmack. A very valuable young couple ! with every
573
,1:': ■■ .:;■■: V-:r...:j,,f.
574 APPENDIX.
natural Endowment, and needful Accomplishment, to render them agreeably useful in
Public, and promise their Happiness in private Life. Long may they live, and be pros-
perous in the world ; to reap, fully, the benefit of their early and constant affection for each
other. (Md. Gaz;lt€^ 4 October, 1759.)
On Thursday, the 8th In;tant, after a short Illness, Died Mrs. Sarah Lettice Fendall,
Wife of Mr. Philip Richard Fendall, Clerk of Charles County. Avery striking Example
of the great uncertainty of all human Procurements, with what Zeal and Eagerness soever
we pursue them, or Fondness we possess them with 1 She was a Lady very worthy our
high Expectations, had God been pleased to allow her length of time to fulfil thein in; but
being cut off in almost the Bloom of Youth, and too, too soon from her happy Nuptials, she
had but little opportunity for displacing to so full an extent that high pitch of merit in the
character of Wife, which was justly ascribed her in her maiden condition. Her Fate was
sudden and unexpected, and she has therefore the more left behind her a disconsolate
Flusbaiid, most mournful Relations, and condoling Acquaintance. But her Memory is so
grateful that it ought to set Bounds to our Sorrow and to mitigate all uneasiness on account
of her Loss. (Md. Gazelte, 22d January, 1 761.)
Plater — In the previous list (pp. 152-3) only two daughters of Rich-
ard and Grace (Ashton) Lee were given ; it seems they had four, but two
were not mentioned in their mother's will because they had died previous
to its e.xecution. The fourth daughter married and died as given in these
notices:
On Sunday, the 5th Instant was married in Charles County, George Plater, of St. Mary's
County Esq. to Miss Hannah Lee ^ Daughter of the Hon. Richard Lee Esq.), an amiable
young Lady, endow'd with every Accomplishment to vender the Connubial State happy
(Md. Gaziite, 16 December, 1762.)
On Tuesday morning the 20th of this Instant, Died Mrs. Hannah Plater, the amiable
and virtuous consort of George Plater Esq : of St. Mary's Co., and Daughter of Richard Lee
Esq. She was in the Full Bloom of Life, and had not been Ten months married. (Md-
Gazette, 26 September, 1 763.)
In the issue of the Md. Gazette, April 29 to May 6, 1729, Richard
Lee is mentioned as the ^' High Sheriff of Prince George's County, Md."
Mention was also made (12th February, 1759) of the arrival from London,
of Hancock I-ee, merchant, and of his death, 4th November, 1759 (p.
160"). The death of Arthur Lee, representative for Charles county, is
stated to have occurred the 17th of July, 1760 (p. 157).
Bowie — On page 99, it is stated that Hannah, daughter of Philip Lee,
of Maryland, married a Bowie, and it was suggested that his baptismal name
was ''Daniel." This was an erroneous suggestion. I5y the kindness of Mr.
Wilson Miles Cary, of Baltimore, the following abstract of the will of
Thomas Bowie is given. Mr. Cary states that Thomas and James Bowie of
Prince (^eorge's cou.nty were brothers; father's name not known to him.
Their wills are recorded at Annapolis.
)'■;■' ii:L /r,i
.) ..
•T . '••<
•i; . . .(1 /' ■'... ■')
.::•> r^,^ i>v'.
! ;
■ APPENDIX. 575
James (1744-S-2S ; 9-2S) makes his "brother Thomas" exeanor,
and leaves three daughters. I.ucy, Eleanor and Martha Bowie.
Thomas (1758-3-20; 5-3) mentions wife Hannah and three children,
Daniel, Elizabeth Lawson, and Barbara Bowie. The children were given
correctly in the previous statement, with the exception of F.li/abeth Lawson,
who married Thomas Belt, as stated. Daniel Bowie was an officer in the
Revolution, and was killed, it is said, in 1776. His will (1776-S-26;
1777-5-3) would indicate his fate. He desired his " body to be buried in
a vault at my plantation near CoUington [Prince George's county] about
twenty yards below the vault of my deceased father, should I fall in battle
and my body be attainable." Mentions brother Philip Sprigg, friend
Walter Bowie, sisters Elizalieth Belt, Barbara Hall, and Letlie Sprigg; aunt
Eleanor Skinner and Miss Millicent Tyler ; friend Patrick Sim, Lieut.
Butler, Lieut. Beans, ]3.mc5 Mullican [ex'or], and Thomas Harwood.
Silk — The following abstract of the will of ^^Lariha Silk, who married
Richard Lee, is from recent •'' Gleanings " by Mr. Henry F. Waters; from
which it is learned that she was the widow of a Thomas Moore when she
married Richard Lee :
Martha Lee of Mansel Street in Goodman's Fields in the parish of St. Mary's Mat-
fellon a/s Whitechapel, Middlesex, widow, 26 April, 1725, proved 5 May, 1725. I give all
my messuage etc. in Gracechurch Street, London, and all my lands in Cople Parish or else-
where in the County of We.-tmoreland and Colony of Virginia, in parts beyond the sea-,
unto my son George Lee, etc., for ever. I give ail my messuages, etc. in the County o!
SutTulk (subject to a mortgage and subject also to the payment of one hundred pounds to
Daniel Watts, at one and twenty, pursuant to the will of Thomas Moore, my former hus-
band, deceased) unto my two daughters Martha Lee and Letlice Lee, etc., share and share
alike as tenants in common and not as joint tenants, etc. If all my sa'.d three children,
George, Martha and Lettice Lee, shall happen to die without issue, I give and devise my
said estate in the city of London unto such children of my late brother John Silk deceased
and of the children of my brother Abrahani Silk as shall be living, etc. To my very good
friend Mr. Oliver Marton of the Temple, my brother the said Tobias Silk and William
Wareham, citi/en barber surgeon of London, ten pounds apiece for muuming. The re-iuue
of ray personal estate to luy said three children, equally to be divided among diem, at the
ages of one and twenty years, etc. My brother Tobias Silk and the said Mr. William Ware-
ham to be their guardians. To Ruth Hill, widow, and Neomi Hill, her daughter, five
pounds apiece to put themselves into mourning. Roraney, 114. [A'c-zv England Hist, and
Get:. KcX'stf, April, 1S95, pp. 263-4.)
TnoM.\s Lke, of Stratford — William Lee stated that his father had
suffered a severe loss by fire, but did not give any clue as to the time or
place where the fire occurred. It has been stated (p. 74") that this fire prob-
ably occurred at " Mt. Pleasant," and that the " burnt house field " at that
place derived its name from a disastrous fire which had undoubtedly taken
ii:H L
(i b : •>;<
I :' : ;■■.•; . 1 i;m; ,, i^■if
' 1 ■ ' . ,1
•I'll-
576 APPENDIX.
place there. The following notice of this fire, published by Miss Kate
Mason Rowland in the (April, 1895) WHliam and Mary Quarterly, seems
to confirm the previous supposition :
Maryland Gazette, 4 February, 1729. Last Wednesday night Col. Thomas Lee's fine
house in Virginia was burnt, his otilce, bams and out-houses, liis plate, cash (to the sum of
^10,000), papers and everything entirely lost. His lady and child were forced to be thrown
out of a window, aud he himself hardly escaped the flames, being much scorched. A white
girl about twelve years old (a servant) perished in the fire. It is said Col. Lee's loss is not
less than ;^50,ooo. The fine large house of Col. Carter on Rappahannock was also burnt
lately. The particulars of this loss we cannot give you, but we are informed it is very great.
■March 4 to li — Stolen out of the house of Col. Thomas Lee in Virginia (son;e time
before it was burnt) a considerable quantity of valuable plate— viz. : Two Caudle Cups, three
Pints each, one Chocolate-Pot, one CofFee-Pot, one Tea-Pot, Three Castors, Four Srdts, A
Plate with the Corbin Arms, Pint Tumbler, ditto arms, Four Candlesticks, one or two Pint
Cans, a Funel for Quart Bottles, no Arms on it. A pair of Snuffers and Stand etc. This
plate has on it the Coat-of-.\rms or Crest, belonging to the name of Lee,' viz : Fess Cheqje
between eight billets, Four and Four. The Crest is a Squirrel silting upon end eating an
Acorn off the branch of a Tree proper.
N. B. The Governor of Virginia has published a Reward of 50 Pounds, and a Pardon
to any one of the Accomplices who will discover the rest (except the person who set fire to
the House).
Carter — In the same issue of tlie William and Mary Quarterly arc
given several letters of William Eeverlev. in which these Carter data aie to
be found: Secretary John Carter (p/soS^ died the 31st of July, 1742.
The position of Secretary of the Colony was then a purcljasable one ; Mr.
Carter paid ^^1,500 for it, and Mr. Beverley stated he was willing to give
more than ^2.000 for the place. Mr. Beverley, writing (under date of
27th July, 1743) to Lord Fairfax, says : '•'... I doubt not but Col° Fair-
fax has informed your L'^p of Miss Nancy Fx's being marr'd to Mr.
Adju"" Washington, Col^ Charles Carter and Col° Land" Carter to y^ 2
MissByrds " (pp. 360, 361;). Lawrence Washington nu--rried Anne Fairfax
the 19th of July, 1743 ; after his death she married George Lee (p. 140)-
On pajTCs 104 el sf,7. is given an account of the visit to Lancaster of
William Beverley and Thomas Lee to treat with the Indians of the Six
Nations. Writing under date of iGth November, 1744, ^Ir. Beverley says:
"... Altho' what Col'^ Lee and myself did with the Indians had the
Honour of your and the other Gent"' approbation, yet v/e mett not wrJi
ye same from our Assembly, for they would not approve of the treaty,
neither would they give us one Farthing nor contribute any thing to the
charges, and if the King will not give us any thing, we shall have our Labour
for our pains." {William and Mary Quarterly, April, 1S95, p. 23S.)
.y'M - i '^-.f-
ERRATA.
Page 95, sixth line from bottom, for Finkard xt^d Pinckard.
" 96, eighth line, for Skolto read Sliolto ; seventh line, for has read ■
have.
" IC2, twenty-ninth line, for Charlottsville read Chdi lottesville.
•' 141, foot-note, for side read site. '
'* 14S, twenty-sixth line, 'iox -Gary xQ^-Gti-ry-. VcrV^ri, r.cJ Dcbci.,.', clo>k-- j'^if.-
" 163, eleventh line, for Mattheiv read Afailhervs.^
'* 165, tenth line from bottom, oxi^it you.-'
" 16S, fourteenth line, for mrs. read f/ir.s. ""
•■' I S3, fourth line of foot-note, for urns read were.^
-'* 207, line eleventh, for Wesimorelaiid read Northumberland.^
" 238, sixth line from bottom, for sJiozv read shows. ^
" 341, line second, the children of Charles Henry and Rosalie Eu^a-nia
(Calvert) Carter should read : Rosalie Eugenia, Alice, Ber-
nard, Ella, Mildred, Annette, and Mary Randolph Carter.'
" 362, the statem.ent that Charles Lee vras naval officer for "South
Potomac " River in 1777 is probably erroneous. See page 56S.
" 372, by an oversight two of the children of Cornelia Lee and Dr.
James \V. F. Macrae were omiited. Tliey v.ere: 3, Rich.ard
Bland Lee ; 4, James Fitzgerald.
•' 374, line eleventh, omit Afrs.
" 509, fourteen line l>om bottom, for fiel/e Isadell xca.d Isabella.
37
577-^-^/
A/i>V
■'.'■>! ,',i:
■'),_ t. ■■ ;'t/ '• ,;:,.■ -^^K*!
:t«.
INDEX.
IN TWO PARTS.
Part First.— The Christian names of the descendants of Colonel Richard
Lee bearing the name of Lee ; children deceased under ten years
omitted.
Part Second.— The descendants of Colonel Richard Lee bearing other
surnames, and all others mentioned in the volume.
The names appearing in parentheses refer to the husband or wife ; also place of resi-
dence, etc. Given to individualize as closely as possible.
PART FIRST— CHRISTIAN NAMES OF LEES.
Adrian Ise'.in'^, 4H5
Agnes Mary '', 45S
Agtits Wilson- (A. I..
Colby), 457
-Alfred", Si, 4'5^
AliceMCUrk-M. Smith),
9S, 100, lor
Alice < (W'm. Shippcn),
125-''-, i-^t
Alice* t-Md.), 150. J?3,
2SS, 320
Alice', 553
Amelia'', i>4-55
Anr.3 (Fitzhugh — Mc-
carty). 82. S3. 90
Ann*. 5'^2-63
Ann'' I'Md.), 150
Ann'' (.Cobbsi. 575
Anr.-^ (W'm. Gamble;,
306
Ann McCar-.y; (J. R.
RatcUftei, 54-
Anna''(Arn'.istead— E.i«-
tace), 53^-3:'
AnnaO (Jos. Ball), ;4t.
Anna Cornelia' :R. S. J.
Peebles;. 4' ^
Anna Eden "vR.E Peter-
son), 43s
Anne- (.Thcs. Youell),
Anne » Ijas. RusscIU, 9>
Anne 5 (Char '.S5 I.cc),iiS.
203-4-7. -•^4- '' +
Anne- ij. H L.ee) 544
.A.nne^ ( Pricel, 544
Anne'MW. B. Pj^e~l,=96.
297-S, 434
Anne" (H. Harrison),
Anne" (Cobbi), 568
Anne Fenton^ (D.
Brent'i, 171. 317
.\iine Kinloch'i (W
Marshall), 3 t'-
.A.nne Harriotte''
Lloyd), 3S1
Anne Lucinda'^ ij.
McC.irtyl, 3iS
.Anne Luci'uia'' (W
Jones), 364-7
Anne NUson * 4'")5-7
.Anne Matilda* (B.Wash-
inston), 213, 371
.Annie", ^52
Annie Eliza- (J.T.Cole)
477
Archil
4'.
3^^
.Anne
4;'3
' '. 1 . Hov
547
y-M. 33
;"'-), 311
.Areli Weaver ^, 50-3
.Armijiead .M.^.son'', 511
.Arthur*, 97-S, 157, 165,
574
.Arthur', Dr., sketch of.
=54-- 3 .
.Arthur', mentioned, 78,
112. TCO, 3_2, 2ig. 251,
3^1. 3'-3
Arthtir.;, 15^-7, 537-^
Arthur *, 3:3, 54-)
Arthur", 4.-2-3
.Arthur-^. 4-;7, 553
Arthur H.:, 54-)
.A'.a Rogers ^, i'^y
n.'.Mwin Matt!iews'\ 1*^3
l;c-siie Win'iton ", 496
P. jwles Armistead'', 3;7
Pirutns'', 2=4
Caroline Hite>i (S. P.
Walker), 373
Cassius'', !=;■!, 203-3,20.^,
2S4-5
Cassius Francis '5, 254,
4'7, 454. 474-5.-^7
Cassius Francis ■, 3, 395,
Ca^thaiine A.6 (Geo. W.
Wren), 547
Catharaie Hite^ (Dr.
Geo. May), 373
Catharint; Mildred'" (E.
V. Childe), 342
Catharine Randolph'
(Dr. J. Guerrant), 403.
Cazenove C.<ardn'jr", 515.
Cazenovc Gardner", =,13.
Cecilia'(J.L.McKenua),
3-6
Charity, Mrs., it 5
Charles -. J-'i, 55S
Charles-, 562
Charles*, 533. 5^'4. 5^6
Charles', iiS, 203, 290,
295-t-7
Charles -S .Ui.'.A''. .^'^i-^'S
Charles'- iCobbs), S'''°
Charks''(Cobbi), 568-69
Charles", (Cobbs'i. 57-5
Charle.s='(Md.). 435
Charles Carroll', Dr.,
Ch.irlcf Carroll"*, 48/
Charles Carter'*, 40.i-5
i Charles Carter", 4S9
■ Charles Henry *, 37*. 4-0
, Charles Henry, Rev. ,317
Charl-s O'D'-innel!-'. 4S5
Charles G'Donnell". 4-S5
Charles Kandoipli \ 509
Charles Shej-'herd ", ;<>)
Charles Smith ^ 517
Charles Stewart'-', 4.'?5
Charlotte", 551, 557
; Claude .^rarshnli^ 512
Columbus O'DonneiP,
4-6
Cohuubus (.VDonnell '',
Constance ("azenove ',
5:5
Con.-.tance Gardner " (G.
W. Peterkinl, 476
Cor.jtance Ctardner'', 517
Coibir*, 97-S, ic.r, 160
Cornelia -■> (J. Hopkin?',
235. 2 5->-i-=-3-4
Cornelia ', 476
Daniel C.'"', 547
D-niel .^lurray^, 90, 4>7
Daniel Murray -, 497
D.tvid liall '. =71
Liodridy:; C", 547
I Vjrotlua iJankhead \
45'-'
Ednioiiia Corbin^. 4^7
rdmonia Louise ■'. 5.-,
Kd.r.ur.d Jennings ■'■, i- 3,
■-^5-(>-7. j74-'-2
Edmund Jennings '■, 4:^,
4';^':-73. 4^>o
Ednuind Jennings', 511,
516
Fdu'und Tennings'', 511
rd-.v.ird !Vooke\4:--3
Ed'.vard Jackson'-', ^t■'^
Ed-A-in '', 5t-9
Eiiwiii ". 571
Kdwin Gray^ Gen., ?io.
511
K.i'.vin Gray*, -or;-!.-
Eleanor* :15. Kendall),
o"!-.!, 573
El-.-anor'"', (G. Alexan-
der), 322-3
Eleanor" (E. H. Lynch^,
579
~J
r
58o
INDEX.
Eleanor Agnes', 455
Eleanor HiU*, 43S
Eleanor Orr', 4?7
EliaorO jDr. W. Daw-
son), 150, 152, 305
Elinor Ana^, 150-1-2,305
Elise Atkinson' (Rev. J.
R. NViuchester). 4S1
Elisha Kendall \ 553
Eliza ^, 20S
Elii<i« (O. Hor-;ey). 311
Eliza Atkinson *, 517
Eliza Holmes', 509
Eliza Matilda « (R. H-
Love),3;6 "
Eliza Shepherd s, yy-)
Elizabeth -, 73
Elizabeths, 53 1 _ 56-0
Elizabeth -t, 9S, 100, f-^
Elizabeth ^( Dibrcll),
Eltzabeth ' (P. Conway),
53^
Elizabeth-
140, 144, 155,
Elizabe:h5 (Thos. Ed-
wards), jjS
Elizabeth J ( Sangs-
ter), 5(2
Elizabeth i (Dr. Wilkin-
son!, 543
Elizabeths (Thomas
Brjun), s6')
Ehzabeth'- (3t. L. L.
Car:er', 317
Elizabeth", j'S
Elizabeth' ( Hugh-
letf/, 570
Elizabeth s, 509
Eliz.ibeth Armistead'"
<\\'. C Soldcn), 127
Elizabeth J. J.'' I J. Chip-
ley], ^-J^
Elizabe'tli'Gordon'^ (Rev.
A. D. Pollock). 163
Elizabeth Kendall'"', 540
Elizabeth Kendall' (Wm.
P. Hahni, 550
Elizabeth Lloyd ', 315
Elizabeth Sinclair^ 517
Ellen' ( J. S. Powell), 4t-5
Ellen". 406
Ellen Fru;e', 553
tUen l;yrd ^ 5.09
Ellen Lyn.-h », 4S6
Ellen NicMacken"(BfJ-
t'ird-Knapp I. 327
Ellen -Moore s, 517
Err.eliiie ^ ( Rich-
ards'., 54=.
Evelina Prosser'iE.C.
Morgau), 4';5
Evelyn Byrd^, 517
Fanny Carter "', 317
Fitzhu^^h', Gen.. -iZ'^-^fi
Fitzhuijh^ 45^
Flora •% ii7-t3, 234,
3z6-7, 3.;;
Florence l nesen^, 517
Frances'' ( Seward),
Frances "(R. \Vi!',i5\54S
Frances', -,<;3
Frup.ces Anne'' (Robin-
son-Petti t). 32S-0
Fra'ices Hnyne' (Jsaz.c
Winston), 305
Francis", 5-^, 71-2
Francis -J, 70, 80-1-2
97-3, 156, 247
Francis-', 153-4-5
Francis ", 553
Francis Dup'-.nt^, Rev.,
;i6
Francis Leonard'', 154-5
Francis Llghtfjot *,
sketch of, 215-35
Francis Lightfoot*. men-
tioned, S3, 112, i.'O,
ic6, -202, 20'"'. 251, 2^5
Francis Lightfoot-', 203,
219, 284-;:, 3-2, 327---9
Francis Lightfoof^, 327
Francis Li-htfoot". 457
Francis Morris -, 508
Francis Phillips,:, 403 _
Francis Preston Bl.dr',
4SS
Frederick Collins '', 4S6
Gertrude'. 4S5
George ■• (Va), 122, 140,
144. 167, C07, 211, 575
George-i (Md.), 97-i, ■
i6iD-i, 164-5
George ^, 204, 219, 3i3,
320, 361, 535.544. 5-4
George *=, 318-9, =44
George ', 393-4, 4'^7. 55?
George -, 496
George Allen s, 500
George Boiling ^, 506
George Fairfax =, 141-2,
144, 3'52-3
George G. ',57'
Geir^'e KenJ.ill 'J, 546
George Kendall", -53
George Taylor'. 4SS-9
George W.5, 163-4
Gcjrge W.". 304
George Washington Ciis-
tis^ 457-^-9
(Jrace (Ashtcn), 149. 150,
3'35
riancocks. 51.3-29, 533
Hancock-', 529. 531-36
Hancock--', 53;)-40-42
Hancock ■* (:^ld.), 98, c,9,
■c-J. 5 74
Hancock =, if'C-i-2, 208,
2?r. 337. 54S-7
Hancock '', ^50
H..n..ock3, 4S6
I Hannah'' ( Bowie),
' 99. 574 „ . „
Hannah ■* (Gawin Coi-
Hannah5(Geo. Plater),
(C. Washing-
574
Hannah
to-i^, i07
Hannah"' (Rev. K. J.
Stewart), 3Sr
Hr.na3h'';4-'^
Harric'te Hopkins' (T.
S. Tallaferrj), 476
Helen -. 4S7
Henrietta'- I R. L. Ttir-
bervlUe!, S7, 95, 203-4,
207, 2 34
Henrietta Edmonia •
(Dr. C. W. Gold.^bor-
oii^h^, 470
Htn.r)-^, 79, S.>-3, 131-''.
2 47-;i
Henry', 133-4, 2.-'^7,
2.11-96, 544
H'^nry-* lMd.\ 156
Henry ■'. Gen., sketch of,
;?.V-43
Henry', mentioned, 116,
159, 202,284-6, 359
Henry"*, 1S7, 403-4
Henr>- ", 4S9
Henry Bedinger", Rev.
31 1-12-14
Henry Bedinger 8, 512
Henry Carter s, 496
Henry Fitzhugh-% 497
Henry Hancock'', 552
Henry Hancock', 557
Henry Turner's, ^SS
Hugh Douglass, 487
Ignatius '', ^sio
l'da°(A.T"M. Rust), 170
Isaac s, 527-3
James Ball ', 549
Jamc..^ Hancock', 550
James Keith Marshall ■',
512
James Kend.all', 553-57
James Ormond', 5^ a
James Parrish 3, 4:^7
Jane f', 549
Jane ', 570
Jane Elizabeth^ (II. T.
HarriS'-.n), 32C
Jane Kownslar *, 517
Janet Fitzgerald'-', 483
Janet Henderson i^. 509
Jessie Tyson -', •,?.6
John", 39, 40, 65-70, 244.
246
, John'^, 81, 5-27-8-9
John-', 97-S, 132-3'j, loi,
164, 2S5-6-7, 542
John' (Cobbs), 562
John '3, 307-8-9-10, 337,
John 6 (Cobbs I. 5'-.o
John F.dward •, 571
John Fitzgerald'', 36;,
399, 400-1-2-3
John Fitzgerald ', .(03-3
John Grigg'*.467_
John Haggeman", 5^9
John Hancock ^% 54?
John Hancock '', 537, 540,
551-2
John HiteO, 382, 4'-7
John Hite', 467
John L.., 57t
John Llewellyn ', 395
j .hn Mason '. 496
John Mason*, 4f/.
John Penn ', 405
John Pitt-', 162
lo"nii>ton S, 457
"Irscph BalP, 51''
Jo^i-ph Burweii Ficklin?,
Josephine', 4.'^6
Josephi.ie Jenkins '', 485
"Fudith ', SC3
Ju.lith-< (D. Galloway),
IiiT'ith'(J. Ga--g;..n). 550
'Juilith<^ ( Disin'-.ke),
Julia Anna Marion', ;.:>9
[ulia Eustis ', 465
Julia Hunt^ 488
Julian Prosser ', 509
Julian Prosser s, 5.0.^1
Juliet", 351
'Kendall', 524, 534, 537"^
Kendall ■\ 537. 546, 555
Kendall'"', 53-1
Ken.lal!'' (Cobbs\ 5'^<:j-7o
La:titia-'(Wm. B.ill),i36,
546
LaEtitia' (l^r. Robert
Madison), 532
Lancelot-', iti--.'-4, 303,
366
Lancelot P.Athurst', 303
Lancelot Richard Thotn-
as 5, 154-55
Laura Dunbar' (G. H.
Burwell), ^Zo,
Laura Morgan " (W, A.
Simpson), 515
Lawrence Rusi -, 511
Leeanna, Mrs., -,ij
Leeanna^ ( Jones),
560
Leroy '. 571
Letti'ce' (J C&rbin),86,
'^*- 575 „, ,
Lettice -• (V. .ivdropp-
Thonipson-Sims). 9S,
lOO
Lettice' (J as. Bali), 535,
Lettice ■■', 1=,;. 15''
Lettiee-> (j . Whiting).
164, 2S7
LetticeS(Dr.J.A.S:nith),
291
Lewis^, 542
Lewis Kenaa.-. ", -,52
Lizzie Mad;-.--.' (W. A.
Bragg,, 532
Louisa", 549
Louisa Carr.jli'-', 485
Lucir>da->(Dr.R,H.Call),
Luciuda'' (Dr.J. D. Orr),
17'. =35, 3^7, 4.-7
Lucy, Mrs., 5r.4
Lucy *, 565
; Lucy"', 256-7-3
Lucy", 553
Lucy Grymes'5 (B. Car-
ter), 340
Lucy Lyons ■■, 51=;
Lucy Pvandol^.h ~, 489
Ladwell-', iir-f., 202-3,
21S-9, 254. 20;-, 317.
322-3. 326-7, 3;f3
Ludwclis, 5t'>
Ludwell'. s_^3
'< Margaret-*, 563
, Margaret -*( Symerl.
1 o3, loi
, Margaret Hen'J^-.rson ',
Margaret Loretto -, .i33
Margaret Page ^ 5X)
Margaret Ri.-j-s-:;! '' (Jas.
Clerklee), i j- , !S2, 3<^5
Mari-a Carter '', 3! /
Mariamne-*, ;S5
Martha' (G. Turber-
villeV 92, •)4, ^7;
Martha' (L. G. Harveyl,
570
Martha Kendall'. (Jos.-
Ba!i\ s-'. -/'
Mary ' (Ch.'iries I.rei, 535
Mary-'' (A.Cami.bcii 1,538
Mary 5, 561
.Mary 5 |P. R. Fendali),
296-7-3
MaryS (Thoi. Jones),
Ma^'M^^- '^- '"'^'a'hii.g-
ton), ii3, 203-4, 106,
2o3. 211, 3'.'7
/,' 111
INDEX.
581
Mary«(DitchIey'). 548
Mary«( McD;iniel),
Mary ', 552
Mary? ( Locke), 549
Mar)-" (Edwin Lee), 570
Mary ^ 4:;, 488
M.ir>-9,4S'6
M.iry Ann'"' fU. B. Camp-
bell), 3-7 '
Mary Ann ■ (I. \\ instoni.
Mary Aylett'' (Tench
Ring;i".ld I. 311. 317
Mary Christian^ ^Tench
Ringsold), 310
Mary Custis ", 455
Mary Custis '^, 497
Mary Digges ' (Charles
Carroll), 309. 3B4-5
Mary Digges ?" (S. I..
Gouvemeur), 5, 5c j,
390, 39 1--.'
Mar)' l);^ges\ 4S7
Mary D;-ges ^ iR.G. H.
Carroll I. 4S0
Mary Digues '. 4S5
^!ary Downman ■, 557
Mary Klizabeth" (,R. F.
I ieming), 465
Mary Elizabeth' (Pcriiie-
Coopcr), 466-7
>Tary i:ii/.abcth *, 50S
Mary Henderson". 551
Mary Jane- (i'.rent-
Shaj). 571
Mary Kendall' (
San^ster), 547
Mary Leiand ', 571
Mary Madison ~, 552
Mary Morrison" (R. A.
Cas:!fmani. 474
Mary Olivia \ 557
Mary Pjijc". 43i, :;i7
Mars- Rutherford "I'Robt.
SonierviUei, ^51
Mary Virginia" [Wm B.
Sc'ott\ s^o
Mary Willis-t (A. Madi-
son). 5 -,7
Mary Willis'! (Tho;. S.
As'. ton), 547
Ma-;:i-.5 !H. I.eei.207
Matdda' ( Gaskins),
Mat.i.^a" J. R. Hoi-
combe), 467
Matilda-. 4; =
Matilda \ 4^5
Ma-arice Diiy.ont ^, ^1;
Mildred" I Dr. j. F.
Francis). 405
.Mildred •;',45'^
Mildred Ch>Ide ' 4;,?. 456
Mildred Washington '^,
5t7 ^
Mcrdecai Lewis Daw-
son ■'. 4"6
Myra (Jaines ? (C. N.
Clvaiieri, 461
Nancy' iR. C'otkrell),
^304
Nann:e Mason ■*. 450
Nellie Conway", 551
Norma ', :;-,7
Norma O.'erton " (J. B.
Woodward). 55->
01i\-ia', 553
Philips, 27, 79. So, 82,
06-7, 99, 247
Philip ■*, 97-3, 156
P'lilip ■'■, 156
Philip-'' (of Nominy) 287,
Philip De Catesby", 304
Philip Francis'-', 4-6
Philip Henry '". 50S
Philip LudwelH, sketch
of, 165-68
Philip Ludwell ■•, men-
tioned, 104, la-!, 202,
1.43, 2S8, 293, 29'?, 320,
326, 340, 360
Phdip Ludwell", ■!96
Philip Richard Fr.incis,
Philip Thomas •■', 151-2,
304
Phillips Fitzgerald ^, 509
Portia 5 (Wm. Hodgson'l,
230-34
Priscilla3 (Griffin Ed-
wards), 339, 555
Rebecca (Tavloe), 21',^,
251,285'
Rebecca-, 4S5
P-ebecca Rust''. 51:;
Richard '.skelc'ii'of.a'i-Ss
Richard i, mentioned, 33.
35-'^7-9. •»=>--, 73. =+5.
=4'5, s-,3, 559
Richird'-. sketch of,74-St
Rii-hard", <Bicntioned,
24'>7, 52T, 526, 539, 560
Richard 3 (London),
sketch of, 90-2
Richard ■■' vLoudon),
mentioned, 79. 80-3-6,
13^, 14c, 247, 299, <;74
Richards (Ditchlev),524,
526-7, 5 -.14-=. 566' ■
Richard -i" (Std,), S7-S,
14S-9. 150-1-3, 247, S74
Richard -ilCobbs), ;-jj
Richard^ iya..\, sketch
of, 2 S 6-90
Richard'', mentioned,
123, 133-4-5-6, 165.167,
J07, -r-^
Ri'-havd ' (.Md.), i>o-i-2
R-rhard-WCr-bbv-i.^'-.^
Richard'- iCobii-;!, ='>-j-7o
Richard- :Md.),.iS5
Richard Rlar.d ', 290, 293,
2. 6-7, 370
Richanl Blanri'*, 462-65
Richard Bland". 50S
Richard RIani\ rS-.j
Richard Hvcrs. e-'v',
Richard Henr",- ', sketch
of. 173-21:;
Ricliani Henry ■•, men-
tioned, 41. 73, S.-^, 112.
144, 153, iC-i, 2iS. 2 ;o.
2^4-5, 2'.r. 312, 321
Richard Henry"', Rev.,
?'M-5
Richard Henry '"\ Ju ige,
4^.T-I-2,435
Richard Henrv"'(I>itch-
ley). r46
Richard Henry 7, 4^1,4-.;,
Ri'.l-.ard Henry '',4?7, 5'j9
Richard Lancelot'', 537,
5^1
Richardette". 57!
Richardia''(Pres!eyCox),
Robert Carter ", 410
Robert Eden '', 461-2
Robert Edward ", sketch
of, 412-56
Robert Edward'', men-
tioned, 33-4. 41, S3,
500-1
Robert Edward, Mrs, 20,
83. 433. 4^4. 461
Robert Edward", 507
Robert Edward •' (Ditch-
ley), 557
Robert F,dward*, 506
Robert Fleming", 466
Robert Henry ^ 489
Robert McCoskry', 50S
Robert Randolph", 4S9
Robert Randolph', 4Sg
Rosa', 4S5
Russell ■''. 150
Russell-^, 304
SaUie Fairfa.\0(R. Sar.g-
stcr), 303
Sally Ann ^ (John D.
Kemmi, 571
Samuel Goaverneur -,
4S5-6
Samuel Phillips", 3.1^-7,
Sarah, Mrs.. S^'i-.o
Sarah ■ (Wm. Potts), 99
Sarah -^j 155-6
Sarah-'' (E. L Lee). 203,
204, 20S, 2S4, 374
Sarah -5 (J. J. Critten-
denV 542
Sarah '', 381, 569
Sarah ", 476, 570
Sarah Alo.\ander ■* (John
Gillison), 537
Sarah Ann ", 56S
Sarah Brooke'' (B-.ich-
anan-Turnbull), 157
Sarp.h Juliana Maria'",
(Jos. (iales), 373
Sarah Lettice-'' (P. R.
Fendall), 573-74
Sarah .McC.'arty'"' ; James
W. Wren), 547
Sarah Red'.vood ■*, 4-'7
Sarah Russeil'' (Renj.
Contee), 150-1-2, 304
Slnah Ellen C.'', I
Fitzhngh\ 5.'7
Sarah Elizabeth" (
Garlington), 571
Sophia ^tahon -. 4'.3
Susan ''(H. Dod-.i;, 5:9
Susan' (Win. H.ir--,-t;y),
570
Sydney Smith ''. 3:8, 40.S,
409-10-12. 454
Sydney Smith". 410
Sydney Smith ■, 497
Thcodoric^. 295-6-7
,37'^"-*
Theodoric ' , 467
Thomas s, sketi;h of,
'3'. 575
Thomas ■>, inentionei
3", 3'1. 7S^.?''-^ -^
t65-f, 247---. 4-.7. :
Thomas MCoHis). ;
Thomas ^ (Coljbs;, 3
Thomas ^ (Md.1,
156-7
:72.
:i,33,
. i;4.
61
07-S,
Thomas', S3, 202-3,211,
320-1,322.327
Thomas^ (Ditchley), 54.)
Thomas 5 (Cobbs), 505,
568
Thomas "i (Va.), 304
Thomas '> (Md.), -,oS-fJ,
^333, i35
Thomas'' (Ditclileyl, 1:4:;
Thomas "i (Cobbs'i, 5' s'
Thomjs" ;.M1.), 3:^1-;
Thomas Ludwell ',sl»e;ch
of, i',-:-7!
Thomas I.udwcK *. men-
tioned, b'A, 112, 12-,, 2 ji,
4S7
Thomas Lu iwell '■, 2^9,
313-17, 31S. 5'i:
ThomiisSim"', :;6-7,23?,
306-7-S-^-io
Thomas Sini", ^n,,
Thomas Sim ", Rev., 393
Thomas Sim", 3 ■^-9-9--,
391-2. .,33, 4^7
Virginia'' (Rixey-Rich-
ards). 34'3
Virgini.a ", 456
Virg-.nia Lili.tn ^, i- )
Virgini.i Pavne'' iH..W'eH
^Le'.vis). 54-^-
Virginia Payne •, 551
William", 72-3
William -J, <;-3
William -1 (i:obbs\ ■/•:
William <, .si^icich of, 235-
254
William ' , mentioned, 36,
ih. 112, 129, 165, -37,
2'-.0
William"', 141-2-44, 537,
Wiibj.m '■ (>id.). ',07-?— 'i,
310, 3?4--'^-9--i-2
Willia.ii "'(Ditchley), 549,
Si's
William ", .-,'•')
William Augu.'iius ", Dr.,
466
William Bankhead '. 496
William P.vrd '. Rev., :i7
William Byrd-, 517
Wiil-am Cart-jr '*. 4S,;)
William Fit;;h!igh ''. 3-^i4
Wil.iaia Fitzhugh '■,Rev.,
i"-'-3-t
William Fitzh-;!-^!! ", 314,
5';
W iilsam Floyd ", 497
William Henderson ', 353
Vv'iliiam Kc.ry ", 571
Wiihairi Mcnry Fitz-
hu'„'u'?, Oeu., 07-307
W,l!i.am H-i: ", 4'5-i, 45-5
William H■.,i^ .4=3
William Ho-Ason Cl.irk ',
i53
\S'idiam Kendall ■. 353
William Luiiv.ell •", .mo,
Wllium j.udw-ll ", 476
William I .'.om.is ■ , 55.3
William* Carter ', 4 ■-.
WillisS < :s;-3fv-37,;4^
Wilhs'', 547
Winifred. Mis., i;?'.
Winifred Bcale' iWm.
Srenl',317
Zaccheus Collins 'i, 46^
Zaccheiis Collins \ ^o-)
.>.^'.. '. (
•t... 1 ,-i'iri f
58:
INDEX.
Part Second. — The descendants of Colonel Richard Lee bearing other
surnames, and all others mentioned in the volume.
Acosta, Dr. Aleazcr, 3S-
Adauis, Ch.'is., 543
John, 112, 17S, 187,
I'll, ■-■61, 264-3
Samur !, cc'4
Addijoii, Barbar.^., 96
Adkins, 51, ^12
Allen, Rachel Willets
50S
Allerton Family, 529
Allerton, Isaac, 6?-^. 7^.
Sarah. ~it-g, 530-1
\ViHf,iighby, 79, 86
William, 3::o
Alexande."-, 212, 333
Aril. I, 536
TIk'S. Ludwell, 323
Ambler. 573, 3:4
A:iderso:i, N'ath.. 306
Andrews, Rob., 252-3
Andres, Sir Edm., 75
Anthony, 3i_;
Applcton, John, 6S
Armis' K.iu Family, 53:
Armistcad, Anna, 52'3,
Bowles, 326
Elizabeth. 146. 32^.,
John, 75, 146, 337
Judith, ^57
'I^w'.s A'. 327
Wiiliani, ;'-'o, =^S
Ashton.Annc, 172, 211
Bunlcttt. 14)
Charles. 14;
Elizabctii, y?
Grace, 143, 573
Heury. 143. 211
John, 63, 149
'Niary, 14'j
Th.-^s. Si:i-tt, 547
Astiey, Margaret, 2;--
Aston. Marjrry. !■)
Atkinson, 4"!, 4?5
Austin, 57!
AvLF.-rr Family, 172
Ayleit, Anne, 149, :o6,
III
Grace. 14,.-}
Mary, J4>, l; j
Willi.ii.i. 14;,. 170,211
Aylm=r, 14 = , =32
Bacon, X'l!'.. ^o . ;5
Baich, H H.,4'^5
H.tMwin, Pr. r-;.T.. 234
Bald'.vyn. Aiir.e. 303
Baker, Nanoy H., 1-5
Ball FA^:ILY. 543
Bail. .\nnc, 5;5
Bnice, 571
Catcsby ap Henry.
-•5-
DaviJ, .;, ,. =71
Eli-T.-ibeiii, =71
Fayct'.e, -35
Fra:i,ffs, ^;5
Henriett.i R. S., 571
Henry Lee, 136, _;6.
371
Henry Wannj, y'.y
James, 535, 53,., 545
B.UI. James F!e.\r,ier, Beverley, Robert. 6r,
latnes Kendall, itj
la,i:es W.,Lace. V;3
Ji.hn, 172, 530
Joseph, 211, ;3j, 544.
" 3-i5. 571
Jo^eDhine, 571
Judith, 535
I^etticc, 135, 2b6
Lettice Coibin, ^67
Mary, 172. ;ri, 2S6,
3=1. 57' .
Mary (Snuch', Mrs.,
161,235
Mottron:. Dr.. 95
Occavia Augustj, 53';,
Robert E., 371
Sarnh, 5-5
Choraas Kendall, 57:
W iliam, 136, 172,
2S6, 546, 506
William Lee. 539,
Hainiainc, Rev., 1S9
Il.ncrofl, -37
Bankh£3d,''496
Bannister, 126, 1S2
Fari-:hani, 300
Barradall. S3
Bai2i?,4, 12C), no
Br^ssett, 85
Br.rweil, 459
Ehzabeth, 407
Batliurst. Mary, 36S
B.^yard, R. H.;337
Bca'c. -6, 361, 566
John, 341, 565
LlLCV, 102
Sarah, 83
V.'iiiliVed, 541
Be-.;;. Margaret, 509
B;ckett, Wm., 20
i;ei.!-v'-:ii;i, Annie C, 34?
B.;>.;:'jrd. T'nos., 3r7
Bi- 1-I-- .' f^ Family, ^-i
I•'.■^l;::i;•-■r, Henrietta.
B.;i.. 560, 367
Eiiz.ibeth. 543
Margaret. 540
Belt, 'I l;os., too, 575
Beniiett, Anne, 1315
(lOv. Richard, 36,
i",S
L.aKr.^,36:,
B:rke;ey, Dr. Carter, 35,
Catharine. 3''i
K^ciininid, 14''
Fr.uioes, Lady, i :i,
N'o'son, 3<3:
Sally, 146
Sir William. ^-,, c'o,
76, 12?. 23^; 215.
r.F.vi-'-'i.F.Y Family, 31 j
Bcvtri'-'v, Anna Mun-
t'url.VT
I'li/abeth. 406
i^velyn Byrd, 31.?.
I'eter, 406
Susannah, 407
William, lot, T34,
I 30_, 576
r.lack, Wni., 104-6
Blackburn. 212. 517
Blackford,' Wm^ 361
Blackstone, Philippa. 32
Blackwe'l, 5^3
Bl.den. Piiscilla, 3^9
Blair. Elizabeth 399
Francis P., 399,416
Jan-es, 535
John, 251
Bl.-'.nt) Family, 137
■ Fl::<abeth, 139. 320
Mary 131. 135. 139,
406
Richard, 139, 176,
289, 320, 406
Theodoric, 59, 13^-1,
215, 408
P.lane, Tbos., 200
Biantoii, Susan, 533
BoLLiNG Family, S'-'''
Boiling, Drury, 130
I-'rances, 139
f jeorge W. , 506
Jane, 40S
Lucy, 82, 406
Mary Tabb, 506-7
Robert, 28S, 406
Fioitb, Catharine, 90
Bord'ey. Tbos., 301
Bowie, Barbara, ico, 575
Daniel, 99, 1^0, 373
Eli/aiieth Lawson,
573
Hann.^h, 99, i'^>o
James, 575
Thomas, 573
Bowles. Tas., 533
Boyd. 567
Bradford, Major, 339
Hra?;; 352^
Braxton. Carter, 8(, 231
George, 338
Brent, Adelaide, 171
Ann, 285
rtanicl C., 171, 317
F.lean.or, 171
Eliza Ashton. 321
F';!izabelh, Mrs ,
, 5ii2-3
George, 41 1
Geo 1 ye I.ee, 171
Joseph }V., 571
Maria Eustace, 4C9
Mar)- .lyiett, 171
Samuel G. ,380
Sarah, 411
'I'hos. Ludwell, 171
William, 171, 317, .y ■,
Brewster, Fear. 519. 53'..
William. <;to, 330
Brid,;er, M.aud Ellen
Le,;h, -,2
Brisi-oe, Philip, 138
Brooke. Edward, 48S
hu\pie E. T..339
Elizabeth, 3S6
James, 97
Joseph, 97
Brooke, Robert, 104
Sarah, g5
Thomas, 96, 156
Brockenbrough, 289, 510,
366
Brock, R. A., 5
Broun, 3''.S-9
Dr. Chas., 30, 369
Judge Edwin, 50, 566
Brosvn, Alexander, 5, 37,
66
Browne. Liilie. 467
W. B , 360
Bull, Louise, 548
Burnel of .\cton Burnell,
43-47
Burnell, Edward, 29
Joanna. 29
Burke, Florence, 342
Burnh-!m. Roland, 04
Eurwell. Carter, 338
Claudia H., 514
Elizabeth, 338 '
Frances. 4S3
Geor.i^e Harri.son,4So
James, 3^3
John Tovvnsend,4So
Lewis, 35S. 533
Martha, 532
Nathaniel, 358, 339,
514
Rebecca L , 513
Robin, 483
Bushrod, John, S3, 211,
53'='
Hannah, So, 21 1,2 14,
321, 530
Butler. Jane, 2n
Butt, Mary Alice, -oS
Byrd, Anne, 360
Elizabeth, 88, 126,
35S
Jane, 484
John, 353
Maria, 320, 361, 483
Ottway, 358
Thomas, 33S
L'rsiila, 320
William, i.:5, 320,
35S, 4;^
William E., 184-5
Call, Gov.. 464, 343
Geor-e, 544
Dr. R. H.,S43
Wilkinson. 544
Calvert, Bienedict, 20. 96,
459
Eleanor, 20, 439
Julia, 434
Campbell, .-Eneas. I'S
Aie.V4ndi.r, "i^S
Archibald, 2uVj, 538
John, 291, 53S
Gen. Robt B., 327
Wm. Lee, 338
Carpenter, 571
Carr, Caleb., 477
Chioe Lee, 165
lohn. 478
"Mary, 478
Overton. 16^
Cakroll Family. 38-
CarroU, Albert H.,a>:6
Charles, 302, 480
INDEX.
Carrol!, Charles R., xm
Robert G. H,. ^- ;.
Cahtek Family. ;3fj
Carter, A!;ce, ;;i "
Anne, .'/--C-;
Anne Hill, ;, ii , 5 jS
Annette, 341
Bern-ird, 341
Bernard Moore. ;(40,
341
Charles, 540 i-2,=;o8.
576
Charles B., 3^7
Charles H., 340
Charlotte, 34'!
Edward, ^9
Elizabeth, 126
Ella, 341
Eugenia, 341
Frances, 313, 3(^6
George, 313
Hill, 435, 5o»
John, 59, 126, 576
John Tasker, },o^
Josephine, 341
Judith, 4?3
Juliet. 5o3
Landon, 217, 3:0, 576
Lucy. 82, 5c3
Maria, S6, 318
Mary-. ^4t
Mary Walker, 31.7
Matilda Lee, 341
Mildred Randolph,
341
Robert, 366, 4S3, 300,
53-
Robert W., 313, ^17
St. Leger Land.on,
Thns. Hi;!,5o3
Thos, Nelson, yo'i
Carver, Harriet, 485
C.'-ry, Miss, 14S
Wilson Miles, 3, 37
Casti-man. 474
Castries, Marechal de,
47S.
Catcshy, Elizalieih, 7'i6
Cattlet, John, 360
Cazenove, 361, 476, 479
Ch.\meei;s Family, 1:1
Chambers, Gov. Jjtm,
100
Lieut., 4^4
Champe ^^o, y'o
Chapman, T03
Cr,cs:\L-y. C"I., 330, 4-'^
Chew, 'Har;:jt,'\--, 31':
R. P.. 21.-
Chichelev. Sir H., 14-
Chi liest'er ^^7
Childe, 343
Chilton, Mary C. S., 4,2
Orris, So
Chinn, Thos., 70
Chiptey, 303
Chisweli, 360
Chownir.g, 104
Christian, ==45
Churchill, 22
Ju.iith, 407
Lucy, ^(n
William. 71, jc'-.-^, 532
Civalier, 46^
Claiborne, Aug., 35?
Cl.ipham, i6'>
Ciark, .Alice, 160
Ellen. 533
Clatterbuck, 54''
Cleaton. Ralph, 30
Clemson, Louis.i, 213
Clerklee, 132-", ^03
Clynier. .\nne', .|SS
Cocke, Mary. ^^07
Dr. \VilU.Hn., 366
Cockerel!, 297
Cockrell, 304
Colhv, A. L , 4?7
Co'floi:gli. 7^
Coie. Eliiabcth, 312
Rev. J. T.. 477
Richard. 72
William, 312
Coleman, 542-3
Collins, 370
Colston. :;i, 361
(?ontee, 151-2-3. If I, 304
Conrad, Frank, 3'-"->
Conway, Peter, 534-5,
566
Coo';, Jo'in, T-^
Cook-, G':o. Fstcn, 102 .
John Esten, 517
.-^usan Randolph, 517
Susanna, oc
William, 218
Coombs. Susan. 467
Coons. Emma P.. 54S
Cooper, Bernard J., 467
Rernart! J. L., 467
Mary E. L., 467
Mary F. D. L., 467
(itTi. Samuel, 412
Corbet, of Moreton-Cor-
bet, 47
Sir Thomas, 2 3
CoREiN Family, 2 5
Corbin, Ann P?ge. 86
Av.g. G, W., 8u, g2
Eli.'abeth. 04, 366
Francis Porttus, 86,
290
Gawin, Si, 07, 123,
12;, 20^, 3" o, 360,
. :■.''('■ 530"
George, 3-6
fLannah. 122
Henry, 39, 6y, 33,85.
209. sjo
Jas' Parke. 8S
) oh n, 86, 03
joiin Tayloe, 56, 33
LJttitia, 77, 366
L.incehit. 366
Martha, 94, 123, luS,
2 -JO
Matthew Maury, £9
Robert. S6
Kicnard, Sc-6, 123
Sails-, V 6
Si>-.:sAC.;i; Wcilford.
! '86
Thomas, E5-fp, 114,
247
i Washirgton S , So
I W.m.Ly^on.o^^
; Cott;n;.;;tnn. 127. 247
i Cottrell, 560, 507
; Coullin^. 470
CoCvper, Cleo.. 520
Cox, Feet, 2,0
Jar,... 32'
Prt-sVy, 291
Craic, Rev . ^15
Cr.uk, U'm., .'2
Crawford, 2. "■!
I'rawiey, T32, sjo
Cri'ten.ien, =42-3
Cromweil, 333
Culpeper, Lord, 60. 76,
,143
Catharine, 148
Cuninciham, Mattie, 370
Cunnin;;hani, Rebecca J.,
212
CusTis Family, 45''
Custis, r)auiel Parke,
, 456-7
Eleanor, 05
George W. P., S2,
333-37, 406, 410,
453, 4C0, 505
Mary A. R.. 453-4,
4G6
John Parke, 96, 459
Cutting, Dr., -^ci)
Dal.:iey,Chas"."'TC2 ;
Daingerfie'id, S7, 95
Dan'-Iridj^e, John. 459
Martha, 172, 456, 458
William, 172
Danvers. 32
Darrall, Mary, 337
Davenport, 206
Davidge. 372
Davis, Henry Winter, 479
Dawson. 305-6
William, 152
Deane, Silas, 261
Delafield, 33t
Dibrell.5f.2
Dickinson. Chas , 155
Jolin, 177, 257, 266
DiCGES Family, 311
Digges, Edward, 20^;. 482
Ignatius, 304
William, 147
Dillon, Viscount, 20
Llismuke, 5':9
Dobcll. M;ss, 96
Dodd, Horace, =49
Dorsey, Mari-i R., 479
Douclas. I.IS., =::''!
Dr. P; H., 320
Downman. Frances, -35
G. V/.. =39
Harriet J., 465
Julia R., 535
Drew, Martha B., 551
Drury, 566
Dulanev. 07, 2S7
Dunbar, Kli;-ibeth A..
4S0
Dupont, ;i6
.Nrargiirr.'tc L , 515
Durrett,''!'.^
Eaton. 0 G., 165
Kcklotr. Miss, 543
Edmonds, ^cv)
Edw.-irds, 53--39, 560-70
:>'ary, = xi. 5^4
Thos. W.. 470
Wm. Lee, 555
Eilheck. .Ann, 41 1
Eldred, 12, 24:1
Eidridge. 500 '
Elliott. 5--2
Eltonhead, .Agatha. S4
.Alice. 77, ?4, 200
Richard, S4, 145
English, 74
Erdin..:;ton 23
Eustace, 523, 530
Everett, Edward. 177
Ewell, 290
Eyton. 24. 28, 20
Fairfax Family, 147
Fairlax, Anne, i4'-j, 211
I Catharine, 5;4
Fairfax, Thom.is. 76
William. 140, 143,
211, 296
Farley, Jas.' Parke, 353
.Mar;a, 359
Rebecca, 33
Fauntleroy, Aphia, 359
Elizabeth. 533
Molly, 360
Moore. 164. 533
Nelson, ^61
Robert, 535
Feam, 5'' 2
Featherstonehau,;h, 341
Fendall, Arthur, 308
Benianiin, 57";
Philip R.," ct, II ;,
13". 2yS, 305, ;73,
PriscUla, 573
Sarah E.. 152
Sarah l.ettic-, 573-74
Tlifini!S D., 152. 305
Ficklin, Ann Eliza, 90
Catharine ''., 329
Joseph 1'. . vo, 407
Field. Rev. l>r. Henn.'
M , 421
Fife. Mary, 5:3
Fit2,geraid, Col. lohn,
183. ?23
Elizabeth, 328
Jane. 323
Fttzhvi.h Family, S9
Fitzhugh, Ann, So, '.:-3
An.-! Eliza, 90, 4^7
Daniel, 9.'>
E!i/3beth.8:t, 90
tJeorgc L. ^L, 90,94
Henry, 82-5, c 9, 9-j,
3^3
J> hn,S3
Lcttice, S3. 04
.Matv Lee, 4.^', 453,
460
Rosamond, 90
Sarah, S3
Susnnnah, 90
Thomas, 90
William, 03. 89, 90,
92 , 406, 460
William Henry, 82,
505
Fleming, 4''.5, 506
Fletcher. 4S0
Floyd. 536
Fontaine, Mary, 320, 533
Foushce, 359
Fcwke, 411
Fowle. 406
Fcwlcr, 479. 544
Fox. Arthur, ico
Francis. 405
Franklar.d, Colvil'e, 3.>6
Frank!. n, 1S4, -f"
Frausen,-;.-,!
Frisby, Thos.. 301
Full'-shurst, 19
Gaines. Juliet, 508
Galci, Jos,, 171, 37=-3
Gallov.-ay, 535, 5'''
Gait, ^2j
Gamble, Win., 1.52. B**"
Gambliiif, J.. ;-J-)
GAiiCNPK Family, 477
.Anne Eiiza, 47^
GarLTan. 550
(Jarlard. 539
Garlington, 550
584
INDEX.
Gaskins, Anne Eustace,
312
Eliza, 207, 31a
Si rah, 217
Thomas, 207, 312,
568
Willi, io3
Gay, Dr. Wm., 50&
Gerrard, 60, 530
Gibbon, John, 40, 42,
60-1
Gill. 469
Gillespie, 343
Gilliam, Anne, 35S
Jane Gray, 126
William, 358
Gillison, John, 537
Gilmour, 535
Helen, 539
Matthew, 365
Gist, Chris., iii
Goldshoruugh, Anna M.
S..82
Catharine D., 470
Charles, 470
Dr. Chas. H., 470
Charles W., 4-0
Edmund Lee, 470
Edwin Lee, 47J
Henrietta, 470
Henry B , 470
McKenzie, 465
Man'. 45 +
Gooch, Sir Wm., 103-4.
110
Goodrum, Ella M , 4?^
Goodsvin, J. J., 210
Gordon, Caroline V., 3^.7
Elrzabe.h, 365
John, 546
Sarah, 546
William, 367
Gough, Isabella. 32
Gouverneur, 310, 392
Graham, Ch.is., 161
Grange, Louis do la, 3S;
Gray, Elizabeth M. t.,
-, 3^9
Grayson. Geo. M., 363
Green, Thos. M., 5, 512,
536, 544
Greene, Gen.. 334
Greensprinj;, izS, 2;')
Gregory, .\Iarv, .'04
Mrs. MiUred, 213,
556, 546
Roger. 536
Grette. 152, 303
Grigsby, i6.j. 2.51
Griffin, Le Roy, S5, 533
Samuel, ;;o
Griffit!-., E, C.. 20-
Thomris, 62-3
Grinnaa. I'r. A G., 5
Gross. .Ab'^ai!, lyj
Grymks t amilv, 299
Grynies, .\lii:e, 4S3
Benjamin, 82
Charles, 129
Francet, 129, 235
{ohn, 4S3
iUCy, 2qS. 508
Philip, 50S
Guerrant, 405
Gunn. ■;7i
HacV;. Peter, 520
Ha5.,eman, 349
Hague, Francis, 166
Haines, John, 550
Hall, 100, 575
Hallowell, Benj., 413,
476, 497
Hamilton, Andrew, 106,
no
James '^^^
Janet, 3?!
Hammond, Mary P., 381
Hampden, 23
Hanewinckcl, 369
Hansboro'r^h, 552
Hanson Family, 157
Hanson, Mrs. Charity,
IS7
Rebecca, 165
Samuel, 164
Thomas, 105
Harris. 520, 371
Harrison, Alice Janney,
368
Anne, 312. 338, 406
Anne Harriotte, 36S
Benjamin, 113, 12S,
17^7.183,231,338,
4-6
Carter, 35S, 407
Cuthbert, 296
Edward Burr, 36S
Elizabeth, 35S, 368,
407
Hannah, 12S-9
Het.ry. ^68
Henry T., 32S, 368
Maria, 368
Mary Jones, ^6S
Nathaniel, 312, 338
Rebecca, 3''''0
Robert, 358
Thomas. 521
Walter Jones, 368
William Henry, 35S
Hurdidae, 12;
Hardy, Wm. B., 329
Sir William, 24, 28,
29
Hart, 331
Harvey, 370
Charles, 543
Martha Lee. 50
Masiings, Wm.. ;3t
Ha.xall, 507
Havden. Rev. H. E., 5
Hayes, E M., ^-)o
Hauchawout. 470
Hawkins. John, zoo
Josiah, 152, 305
Maria Love, 100
Heale, Betty, ^77
Heath, 73
Henderson, Alexander,
309
Annie E. Van Ness,
316
James, 550
.\I3ry, 309, =150
Richard H." 3^^. 393
Henrv, Patrick, 176-7,
1S3' 2S0 _
Herbert. Noblet, 212
Heimann. 301
Higijinson, 438
Hilchburn, 211
Hill. Bcni. H.,447
Edward, 35»
Eleanor Anne, 399
Elizabeth, 32, 126,
33S
Hite, 372-73
HocUn-l, 19
Hodcson, 254
Hoilman, 343
Hoge, 3S1
Holcombe, 467
Holden, 478
Holmes, Katharine, 478
Wiiliam P., 466
Hollyday, Elizabeth,
153-4
James, 154
Leonard, 153-4
Mary Lee, 389
Robert, 389
Thomaa, 154
Hone, 320
Hooe, 496
Hoomes, 88
Hopkins, John. 254, 475
Hannah P. L., 475
Horner, Fanny Scott,
465
Inman, 309
Janet, 3c»j
Jvhn P., 371
Horsey. 507, 309, 311
Howard, Chloe, 157
Julian, 212
Rebecca, 139
Howson, 519, 520, 526,
548, 5C0
Howisor, 547-48
Hugh, John, 166
Hughlett, 54.-^
Hull, 209. 568, 571
Humphrej s. 548
H.int, 311, -jSi
Hunt-jr, John, 183
Hurst, 570
Hussey, 329
Ingtrsoll, 3x0
Irving. W.. 339
Ir¥.in, Grace, 465
Isham. Mars', 406
IuPi;eiich. Catharine, 517
Jackson, Isaac R., 3S7
Elizabeth, 1S6
Gen. T. J., 421, 424
Rev. Wm. M., 234
Jacfjueline, 313
Jadwin, 63
Jamison, 309. 567
Janney, 365'
Jay, Sarah, 306
jefTcrson, Thomas, 117,
1S3-85, 4'V
^Ia^tha, 407
Jeffries, €2, 71
Jenifer, 15S
Jenkins, Maitha Ann,
Matilda D , 485
Jeni.n-(,s Family, 3C-0
Jeninc;s. .Ariana, 335, 407
EdnninJ, Gov., S3,
, 129. 35S. 407
Edward, 105
Frances. 129, 297, jo^'
Peier, 146, 301
Johnsun, Gov., i3i
William, 327, 546
Johnston. Helena S., 465
Sally B., 497
Wm. Preston, 445
Jordan, Anna Eden, 395
Joyce, 543
Joyner, 327
Junius, 236-37
JONES Fa.MILV, 298, 365
Jones, Citesby, 54
Ch.irles, 367
Elizabeth, £6, 328
J. William, 49S
Jones, Joseph, 290
Leeanna. 521
Mary Bathurst, 303
Morris, 360
Richard l^e, 290
Robert B., 290
Thomas, 2go, 303
%V.,lter, 328, 367-68
William, 320, 560
William A., 290
Keith, Chas. P., 532-33,
534
Mary R., 313
William, 407
Kemm, 571
Kemp, Man/, 311
Ricliard, 54, 127
Sir Thomas, 311
Kendall. Mary, 518, 533
William. 518, 533 '
Kennedy, 434
Kennon, Mary, 408
Kennor, Rodham. 520
Kergorlay, Jean de, 387
Keyser, 330
Kiasolvir.g, 171
Knapp. 527
Kn'.ght, 5:9
Kno.v, 90
Kowtisiar, 317
Lackland, 212
Lafayette, Gen., 263. 371
Laird, 370
Landon, Thos., 357
Lane, Jane 85
Joseph, 206
William, 297
Langdon, Eliiabeth, 31,
43
Marion, 3S7
Walter. 31
Lanidowne, Lord, 2-9
Lawscn, Thos., 296
Lea, of Halesowen, 17, 21
J. Hcr.ry, 4, 17, 2"!,
27, -4, 38, 41, 66,
78. 304
Leary, Wm. P.. 413
Lee, of EnE^^land, 17-48
Henry, 31
Rev. Henry, 32, 33.
242-4:^-44
Tar.ies F., 3^8
Robert, 31
Tamar, 72
William Blackstone,
4, 17, 3-'. 5'='. ^'"-', 67,
71.91. '45
Leesburg. 106
Leland, ^63
Lettcrman, 393
Lewi?. Ang.rki, 434
Betty. 359
Lawrence. 460
M,3ry. 359
Warren, 104
Lightfo'-iL, Armistead, 334
lohn, 534
"Philip," Ss, 533
V.'illiam, 534
Lindsey, 32
Lingan, Chloe Ann, 165
Gen. Jas., 139, 165
Nicholas, 1^5
Lister. Edm,., 64
Littlepa;e, 104
Livingiton, 126, 237, 268
Lockey, 62-3
Lloyd, Anne Harriotte,
389
INDEX.
585
Lloyd, Edmund J., 3S1
Eihvard. i:-6, 217
Gtorj^c Francis, 33i
Je.in Charlotte, 3S1
John, 3S1
Mary, 301, 515
Rebecca, 381
Richard H., 515
L jmax, 146, 21 7
L^rd, John, 63
Love. 3:16-; 7
Lowther, 4^3
Luckin, Alice, 482
LUDWELL KaMILV, 2^J
Ludwell, Frances, 250
Hannah, 112, i^i-),
43S
Hannah PhiUppa,
1--9. 235, *49
Lucy, 129
Phihp, 70, 113, 1^7.
12S-29, 235, 250,
319-20, 45S
Tliomas, yj, 127
Lunsford, S5, 127
Lybrand, 130
Lyde, 217
Lynch, 38.,)-jo-3t-^2
Lyson, 152, 305
McCarty, Ann Barbara,
Billington, 83
Daniel, S3. 132, 318
John M., 318
S.^rah, ^47
Thaddeus, S3
McDaniel, 568^
.M.icFarland, 361
Macgili, i-i'^
M'Kean, 263
McKenna, 326
McReiizie, 3S3
Mackoy, 103
McCos'kry, 508
Macrae, 372
McMiUion, 297
Madison, Ambrose, 531.
537. 532
Jame=, 117, 373, 537
Nel'ie Conway, 337
Ma;jru.ler, 164
MalVit. 207
Mah'..n.395.433
Malcolm . 489
^fall^t, 3S3
Mann, Mary. 482
Markhara, 512
Mm!;kali. Family. 51.^
Maridiall John, 342, 4 ^7
L.ouis, 342
Louis H., 342
Thoina.s ;42
W. L.,342
Mar.she, 107
NrASOS' P'.WIILY, 410
Mason, Anna Maria, ^--yy
At'.mc, vj
Catharine, 45^
Einilv v., 412
Gei)rJ:e, 170, 183-33
215, an, 4S4, 540
John, 4ij9, 412
>!ary.-,o
Mary 1 bcjmp-on, i?.
'IdoMias, l(:(>
Matthews, 1^3
Matthia.«i, 430
Maury, &;
May, 374
NLiy, Rev. James, 417 \
Mead, K. C, 31, ;-, !
M-.jade, Richard K.., 254
Rt Rev. \Vi!'.i.im,
72. 82, 124, iSi-g,
3/5-9
Wilham H., 234-
Medstand, 55S, 560
.Mercer, James, 2SS
Rv'ert. 3O0
Meredith, 502
Meriwether, 3?6, 533
Michel, 32
Micou, 163-4
Minor, ICO, 361, 368, 496
Monroe, .Vndrew, I4j
John, 366
S dlv" Si^elton, 766
Dr 'Ihos. J. C.,365
.Montague, Geo. \Vm.. 78
.Mijore,Anne Butler, 3471,
: 359
Bernard, 339
Dr. E. P., '365
Mary, 102
Orra, 393
I Rt. Rev. Richard C,
; 377, 472
' Morgan, Abel, 471
Edwin, 4C3
Joannah, 564
1 Laura E., 515
\Vm. Prosser, 463
Moryson, 59
i Moselcy, 69
Mt. Pleasant, 74-5
i -Mt. Vernon, 140
I Munford, 139
I .Murray, Anna Maria,
i 412
] Stirlin.5, 36S
i Neal. P.irdic, 470
: Xeale. Chris., 470, 52-1
I Xeedilcs, Benj., £6
1 N'eilson, Bessie R., 311
H.->i;,2C9
\el50n, tli.^abeth B., 4?4
t veiyn B., 485
1 Hugti, 510
Judith, 4?4
I Lucy, 510
: -^fary,359, 508
! Sai:ie, 4^3
j Ihomas, 358-9, 453,
j 3oS-io
\Vili!.am.4S3-.^-3, £08
New ten, 25o
Nicholas, 33S, 408
N'ichoUs, 506-7
Nicholson, 73, 126
Norris. ^^2
N'jtt, z-^j\ -,-0
O Doni.ell, ^33. 4S5
Ok!^, 153. 2iS
: C)^'cby, 550
' ( >rniond, 3(8
Orr 171-2, 487
(H^nod. 26S
():elcy, 31
PACKAi't) P'aMIUY, ■\f<)
Rev. Dr. Joseph
y-''>. 3'J4. 3'^3
Josrrph, Jr., 3; 5, 37
Vm.v. Family, 4-2
P.i,'c, .Xnroieite E., 5T0
Cary .-^clden, 2' .9
Rev. Chas. Henry
I 2;3
I Edmonia, 299
Page, Evelyn B., 481
Francis, 510
Jane Byrd, 299
John, 76, 146, i55,
250-52, :93, 312,
353. 5'o
Margaret H., 509
Maria Judith, 407 '
Mary Anne, 298, 367
Mary Frances, 517
Mann, i4''', 217, 2:'9.
298, 35S, 407 J
Mann H., 509 '
^[a^n Randolph, 209
Matthew, 298
Richartl Lucian, 299
Robert, 358
t Walter H., 209 i
: William B.,'2_S, 367
; Paine, 557 ^
Paradise, 129. 2-;5
Parke, 456-5S " i
! Parker, .\rinthea D.,i25
■ Giles, 300 [
Parran, 515 ,
: Parrish, 4S7
Parson, 300 1
P.tsco, 499 1
, Patrizi, 329
I Pawleti, 139
I Payne, Jane, 53S
j Judith \i.', ^46
Richard B., 346
Gen. Robert, 536
i Peachy, 534
Pearson, 327, 349
j Peebles, 465
Perine, 4f''— 7
Perrin, 3S3
j Penn. John, 405, 531
I Lucy 531
j Moses, 405
Richard, 2S2
I William, 158
I Pendleton, Catharine,
I 405
Edmund, i7'^-77, 510
: Guerdon H., 299
I Philip, 531
Susan, 4S4, 310
i Wm. N., Rev,, 4S4,
i 510
I Perkins. 570
Peter, Brittania, 434
! 1 homas, 460
I Peterkin, 477, 479
] Rev. Dr. Joshua, 4S1
I Pettit, 403
j Peyton, .\nne Lee, 368
I Eliza, 40''
! Eliza C.'jrvion S , 368
i M.ir^arct C., 3"=;
i Robert Eden. 363
I Yclvcrtcn, 363
I Perry, Q 7
i Phelps, 3S7
1 Philpott, Co
i Pickett, 462
! Pierce, Judith, 539
: William, 63
Pig'^tt, 33
i Pinckard, S7, 207, 20'-i,
Plater, C-eo., 217. 574
Piowde-., ...'
Pocahontas, 13 >, 50'^
Vot, .-Vnieli.i. 470
E^,)ll3rd, .Ann, 405, S31
■ Pollock. 3':.5
I Pope, 210, 329
301
Porteus, 57, 301
Post, 126
Potestad, 341
Potts, 9?, 4'-;
Puvey, 137
Powell, 3' ri, 4f9-7o
Power, 312
Poylhress, 13;,, 2?.)
Prather, 329
Pratt, 3'';'
Prentiss, 454
Preston, 297
Price. 5.44
Prosser, 3?2, 4':2, 467
Pue, 126 '
Purviance, 373
Qninlan, I[u4h,303
RANDOLPIt l-AMH.V,
Randolph, .\nne, ■.<2,
Ar'ana, 147, vit
Benj.imin F , S''
B.-verley, 301
Edmund, 203,
3^3
Eiiz.abeth, 139
John, 139, 350
Lucy. 331
JLiry, ^2, 508
Mary B . 30S
Mary 1., 513
Peter, 82
Peyton, i7'>-77,
^SS, 5Tt
Richard, 506
Robert. 359
Susan 1"., 3^.l
Susannah. 330
William, ■-■2, 35S
Ransom, 31 1
RatclilTc, 547, 5;5
Richards, 547
Ridout, 470, 481-82
Riugeley, 150, 341
Rinehart, 548
Ring-.;old, ^o'^j-io-n
Roberts, 4"9
Robertson, 465
Robi s, 539
Robinson, 3'--S-29
Ann Ayletr, 214
Dr. James. 479
(Jctavia. 5 J7
Sar.ih .\i.'i, i-j
William, 715 ■
Rogers, 17:
! Jane, 4-^7
Laura Fr.i'i':';.'!.
Rolfe, 506
Romney. Joyce, 30
Rose, Ann, jO
Ross. 320,
! Rowland, 5
! Rov, Stisan, 508
I Ruffin. -'iS
Rush, Dr., 190
Russell. .-\nii. ,3. -'"
I James, 14;, it>
I Rust. 470
I Rebecca Lawr:n
! 5tt
I Rutherlord. 472
i Rutl.-d.ge. 23-(
\ Rythcr, St W ni., 147
St. John, K, S., =:-o
San.;ster, ■■.r<\
Saniges, Marie de, 343
Saunders. 5=0
Scarborough, 450
Schlegel. 47:
«7')- 573. 57''
586
Schrever, Rartholomcw,
Kli/.ibeth, lOQ
Mary, 7-
Schwcighauser, 321-2?
Scott. 5:0
Elizabeth, 547
John. -,63, 4^-
Geiieni! Wingficld,
414, ;oo
Scrope, 32
Scwall, 96
Shay, 571
SjiP.pHHRn Family, 470
Eli/a, 471
Shipfen I'amily, 126,
131-32
Shippeii, Lloyd ParKcr,
127
Thos. Lee, T17, 120,
126 104-^9. 2°°
Dr. Willi J ni, ^29
Dr. William, jr., 213
Mrs. William, 1S6
Shore. 12^-
Juliet, 351
Shumate, 357
Silk, ^L'^rtha, 86, 90. 54,
140, 299, 575
Sira, 15^''
Sims. Joseph, io-3
Simms, Catharin':, 4'?q
Simpson, 513
Smith, Agatha. 342, 5'3
Anne L>.. 399
i Augustine, 291, .312,
5'3
George A., Rev.,
Geor^' W., Gov . i
lOl '
Charles, 317 '
J. A. \V., lOO I
John, 2S5, 512, 53*"-'
John A,, Dr., 162
JoS'-ph, -,0.9
Martha f'.ur-.vell, 291
Mary Dabney. 291
NLary Fmria, 5'. 7
Mary F , 3-7
Mar>- Jacqueline,
162-3, 313
Meriwether, loi, 170
Robert, 59
Sally Poythress, 291
Susatinah, 161
'I hoinas, '-,7, ' ■"~^
Walter, 136, 531
Smythc, Edward, 33
Soltyk.343
Span, Cutnbctt. 520
Sphenix, 163
Sp.-ke, 149,
Spill man, cS
Spctswood, 76. 115
Spring. I'JO, 571, 575
Stanard, W. G., 5. '45,
356, 3?'^
Stanter, John, ?o
Starr, Ch.i5.,5;o
Stearns, 33 1
Stfjrpc. fv
Stephens. Mrs., 23^
Stith, 506
Anne Da('e, 507
Steptoe, i'''7. 2i/;-7, 3.^3
340
IND^X.
Steptoe, Judith, 534, 5^6
Stone, isi
Stork, a. 213
Straiford House, 116
Strother, 112, 531
Strode. 471
Stuart, 96
Charles Calvert,
Mrs.,7S.o5
Dr, David, 95, 460
Kenzie Johns, Kov.,
Mary Kennedy, 381 '
tiarah,9o 1
Symer, Margaret, 160
Swai:, 563
T.\BB Family, 3S2 ■
Taliaferro, Harriotte |
Lee, 476 ]
Lucy, 360 I
Philippa L., 476 I
Tiios. Seddon, 476 \
William F., S7, 95 . 1
Tasker, 339 |
Tayloe, AnneCorbin,4S3 ;
' Eleanor, 146 '■
Elizabeth, So, 126, .
147 !
John, S3 £0, 146,211,
217. =49
Rebecca, .17, 249 1
Sail V, 211
\\'il[iain, 85, 147
T.-kYLOU F.«vMILY, 530
Taylor, Alexiua, 299
"Anue,;o3
Aunc Henderson, 516
Caroline, 405
Dora, 543
1 Elizabeth, 329
Frances, 543
I George, 404, 4^7
j Hancock, 5.'9, 53^,
1 54>
I Hanrah Lee. too, 102
H. Alien. 5"'
; Ida Wilton, ^'^7
Ignatius, too, 102
James, 4'-M-5. =29 '
Jane, too |
John. 104. 4->5 j
Lucy Pei.n. 407 :
Margaret, ici |
^Liria,454 i
Maud. ^37 i
Richard, 5^9 |
Zachary, 4'j5. i >7 I
Thom.iS, 310 I
Thomson, Anna, 411 |
Stevens, 411 !
Thomp-on, Ada.m, Dr., ^
I r-O i
Alice Corbin, 100 ]
Caroline, 3^7 '
Ella, 3=3
Frances, 477, 532 1
Letticc, iti'j
Martha, 4-5. 5-"). 53'
JLary Carter, 3a7
^^^ry Lee, 10 ,
S.--r.i'h, !3»
WiUlani. Vci
Thornton, Prc'iley, 104
I'.li/a iCarterV 3'0
Tilghm.ui, Anna Maria,
4?-'
Elizabeth. 21?
Tillman, 434
Todd, 543
To -v nicy, 299
Townsend, 4.:o
Townshend, 213
Traverson, t ,
Tri^^ueti, Pljnche de, 343
Troup, 339
' TUKBEKVILLE F.\MILY,
03 ,. ,
i lurberviUcLorneiKi Lee,
93.207
I Eii/abcih, 149
; Gawin Corbin. 123
I George, 83, go, 92,
! MI, M9
1 George Lee, 86, 02,
I 94.207
1 Gecrge Richard, S7,
I 95. "5
Hannah, 93
I John. Jr, 92, 04, 359
i Lettice t;orb'n, 95.
I 20 3, 366
Richard Lee, 57,1:5.
207
Tucker, 86, S3, 89- "0-9,
212, 387
Turner, 4c.'..-S3
^[ariutta. 454
Utie. sxi
Vanderhcydcn, 301
Waddy. 7i
Walke. ^-4
Walker, 373
D-.r-'hy, 360
Hardagc. 206
Marv, bo, 359
Sarah, 4S5
William, 3 '.2
Wall, JaiiC Gray. 126
Wallace, 543-44
Waiiiack. 550
■ WaUhall, 71
■ Walton, 4'3t
Washi.ngi'.>n- Family,
2»9
Washin;;ton, Mildred,
•214,321,530
P.ich:<rdi lilund, 372
Richard Htnry,2i4
Samuel, i63
\'.'..rr.er, 148
William Augustine,
203-6
Wallace, 126, 213
Warbui ton, 233
Ward, 21
Warilvof p. too, 160-1
Warm;,, 543
Warner, Augustine, 211,
H Lee, -;i. 41
Mild.c.l, ^11
Washington, .\nna Lou-
isa, 372
Anne. 140. i63
Aujustine. 207, 321
BavUy, 37'
Betty, ro'i
K.iihrod. 214, 32'
; Corbin,2o;- 7-12, 314.
I 321
I Elizabeth Lee. 372
i Fannie V. ai!a:e, 372
I Jane, -(72
! Jane Mildred, 214
I John.t>S-9
} Joh'.i AiiiV-istinc, 207,
1 John T.A^. 472
George, Gen.. 144,
1 133. i=;S^9.'7". '83,
1S4. 216, 267, 280,
sir, 297, 3^1. 35".
340. 411, r5; 4S9>
4f.[, 513. 53". 545
Hann.ih, 203-4, 214,
284, 322
Htrburt, 5-12
L..v.rer.'-c, ii", '4'^,
i Wairrs, H. [■., 210, 528,
'; 575
i Wat^O!!, 71. 543
I Watts, 74, 149
' W...!-j,l-,. 70, 04
! Wiave.-, ~CQ
Ween s, 1 33
•■ Weilfi.rd, 83
I Weltiie-s, 71
I West, lohn, 311, S3-^
! rn:ty, 172
I William, 166
I Wcst'"^'. er, 13^-9
; We-U' ood, 213
• Wharton, 126, 232
i Whipple, iS;, 263
- White. 317. 342,434
■ Wbitini'. 163-4
Whitilii, 211, '99
! Wickham. =^06
I Wiikts, 256-7-S
! Wilkinsoi-, 251, 233. 544
I Alice, 439
I WiiUar-.s. 72, 100
i An-.i,i67
Kf-gir, 4/2
; Willing, 131, 34^
Willis. 212, 213. 357. a"^"-.
=14. 5<i, 536, 537. 548
Wruon,83, 327,487
Isabella, 509
^V'in';^.esler, 48j:-2
Winder, 520
Wmcfield. 32, 38
Win^ron, 395
Wo'.d, 19, 59. 359 .
Wcod-.vjrd, 164, 3M-2,
.Mary, -
Mary L
■4. 322
55-
Wooll.-n, 489
V,'(.;;.MKLLY Family, i.'4
Wormeley, Catharine, 55,
14'^'
Christopher. 76, 14- ■
Ll.:abeth, 140, :4-',
Jam.STJ? ^
'. John, 140, I4J
lu'lith, I i'"i, '4'^'! ""j
; Ralnh, 144-5. 'i;.
• 235.423,532
Sarah, 140
; Worthington, 139
Wren, .-47
Wy.:-he,4 76
Wykcham.Wilh.-im .'•t. 3-
Wvlh'.-. 112, i3i--2
Yo'ucU; 73
V'oung, 543
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